Unexpected Consequences
by Kimberlee18
Summary: Hermione has been living with Sirius and Remus in Grimmauld place for a year. Everything has been going well until one fateful full moon when the wolfsbane potion fails and Hermione gets bitten. How will she handle her new life? Mature. HG/RL,HG/SB
1. Flight

Note: This story takes place about a year after the final battle. In this fiction Sirius Black never fell through the veil, Remus Lupin and Severus Snape lived, and Tonks never existed. This fic is rated M for language and scenes of a mature nature later on. This fic is mostly HG/RL with some HG/SB as a possibility later on.

I do not own Harry Potter

Unexpected Consequences

He was worse tonight than they'd ever known him to be. Sirius and Hermione sat silently in the kitchen at 12 Grimmauld place trying, unsuccessfully, to ignore the howls and resounding thuds the werewolf in the attic made as he instinctively rebelled against his imprisonment. He had given up merely scratching at the door an hour ago and now it sounded like he was hurling his body against the wood in an attempt to escape the dark, lonely room he had been locked in at sundown.

"Shouldn't we do something?" Hermione asked when she couldn't take it anymore. She had been trying to drown out the cacophony of noise by covering her ears with her hands, but she had known it would be futile.

"There's nothing more we can do," Sirius told her sadly. "He took his potion, but it just doesn't seem to be working tonight."

Another loud thud, possibly the loudest so far, resounded through the house making them both jump. It was followed by a snarling howl, either of pain or frustration, they weren't sure. Hermione looked up at the ceiling nervously and then glanced at Sirius to see him doing the same.

Hermione, Sirius, and Remus had been living at Grimmauld place together for the better part of a year and never once had Remus' lycanthropy been a real issue until tonight. Usually, on the day of the full moon, Severus brought the wolfsbane potion to the house right after breakfast and Remus would drink it at lunchtime, making sure it had plenty of time to take effect before the transformation. Unfortunately today he had been late, having been held up by an emergency at the school, and he hadn't delivered the potion until dinner time, giving it only an hour to take effect before moonrise. Apparently that wasn't enough time to really have any effect because almost as soon as he'd been confined, Remus began trying to escape the little attic room.

"It's because we're here, isn't it?" Hermione asked, taking a nervous sip of her tea. "He can smell us, and that's why he wants out so badly."

"That is definitely a possibility," Sirius said thoughtfully. "Or he might just want to run. That room is terribly small. Of course, when the potion is working he usually just sleeps, so it's never been an issue before." He said this bitterly; obviously still upset that Severus had been so late.

"M-maybe we should just leave," Hermione suggested when another loud thud echoed off the walls.

Sirius looked thoughtful for a moment then shrugged. "I used a strengthening spell on the door to reinforce it, so it _should_ hold. However, if you want to leave we certainly can. We just need to ward the all of the exits first so that he is confined inside the house should he escape. Werewolves are only just regaining some of their rights and it would be a huge setback if one got out went on a rampage through a busy city."

"It would make me feel a hell of a lot better to get out of here." She told him. "I feel bad just leaving him, but I don't know how much more I can take." As if to emphasize her point another long series of howls and bangs blasted through the house.

Sirius nodded then stood up. "Okay, I'll ward the third floor while you do the second then we'll meet back down here and work the first floor together, all right?"

They separated at the stairs and Hermione quickly began warding all of the second floor windows, using the strongest spells she knew. Once she was done she ran down to the first floor where Sirius was already hard at work warding every window in the sitting room. They had just finished when they heard the loudest crash yet. The sound of splintering wood and ferocious clawing assaulted their ears and they gave each other a horrified look. He had broken through the door.

"We have to go NOW!" Sirius shouted, as he turned and ran from the room.

Hermione gasped and her heart began to pound as she grabbed her coat and ran after him. She saw Sirius at the front door, a look of horror etched on his face as he stared at the second floor landing. Time seemed to slow as Hermione turned her head to look behind her. The large brown wolf was just above her, his hot breath rasping and his sides heaving as he lowered himself down to leap. Her mouth opened in a silent scream as she bolted for the door. Her heart stuttered as she heard the large animal, who was usually her calm, level-headed friend, land with a thud on the spot she had just been standing upon.

"Hermione, hurry!" Sirius shouted, as he raised his wand to fire a stunning spell at the wolf.

"Move!" she shouted, as she skidded toward him, the beast fast on her heels. Sirius stepped back just as she made the door way, but the handle slid out of his grasp. Using reflexes she didn't know she had, Hermione grabbed the handle and tugged as she flew past the door. She realized she was a millisecond too slow as the long snarling muzzle emerged and clamped down on her hand. She screamed and slammed the door on it and the wolf yowled and withdrew, allowing her to latch the door.

Immediately Sirius was there, casting spells on the door to secure the animal inside. Once he was done he turned to the woman beside him. "Whew, that was close," he grinned, and then he noticed her tears and the way she was cradling her hand. "Oh, shit! Did he get you?"

Hermione nodded and whimpered.

"Did he break the skin?" Sirius demanded, pulling her by the wrist toward him. He cast Lumos and examined her torn flesh. Blood was seeping slowly out of two long scratches and he cast Aguamenti on the wound to wash it. The scratches weren't deep, little more than superficial really. "Was it a bite, or did he get you with his claws?"

Hermione took a deep breath and shuddered. "It was a bite."

"Shit," Sirius hissed, running an agitated hand through his hair. "Okay, there's a chance it wasn't enough to pass the virus on. We won't know for sure until Remus has a chance to examine it. So, let's just bandage you up and find a place to stay for a night."

She gave him a watery nod and he conjured a long white bandage to wrap around her hand.

"Were will we stay?" she asked when he was done.

"Hmm, do you think Harry and Ginny would like sharing their flat for a night?" He asked, shooting her a sly grin.

Thinking of her newlywed friends' probable reaction, she laughed in spite of herself.

Okay, that's chapter one. There are at least six more waiting for me to upload them. Please Read and Review - I want to know what you think!


	2. Dealing with it

As they expected, a disheveled half dressed Harry had met them when they'd unexpectedly knocked on his door a short while later. To say he'd been surprised to see them was an understatement, but they explained why they were there and he understood immediately. Hermione took great care in hiding her bandaged hand from him, not wanting him to worry, and thankfully, Sirius didn't mention the bite in front of either Harry or Ginny.

Hermione tossed and turned on the couch they offered her, unable to sleep with worry while Sirius snored loudly from the uncomfortable looking chair across the room. She woke him at first light and they quietly made their way home.

The house at Grimmauld place was silent when they arrived and they figured that Remus must have passed out after reverting to his human form, and sure enough they found him sprawled, bruised and battered on his bed. Sirius, taking note of Hermione's glassy eyed, weary appearance had sent her off to bed while he mended his old friend's injuries and repaired the extensive damage done to the house. She tried to argue, but it was half hearted and he won in the end.

A few hours later the smell of food cooking awoke her. A glance at the clock told her it was later than she expected which probably meant that Sirius had gone back to bed after cleaning up. She wondered nervously if Remus was up yet, and whether Sirius had told him what had happened last night. She hoped not on both accounts.

She dressed slowly and made her way down to the kitchen to find both men sitting at the table eating. Sirius looked his usual,laid-back, casual self, but Remus looked worse than she'd seen him in a long time. His hands, arms, chest, back, legs, and nose were all heavily bandaged. Considering how fast werewolves heal, he must have really done a number on himself. She watched them from the doorway as they practically competed in shoveling food in their mouths. Remus had an excuse for being ravenous because the change and animal form required a lot of energy to maintain. Sirius, on the other hand was just a pig when he ate. Remus had told her once that he had always been that way, and at this stage was unlikely to change.

She fixed a plate and sat down near them. They each grunted a greeting to her, but were too focused on their meal to do much more. She sat next to Sirius, across from Remus who didn't so much as look up as she arranged herself in her seat.

"How are you?" she asked him as she forked a potato.

"I've been better," he shrugged. "But then, I have been worse."

She smiled at him and forgetting herself, she reached out to grab her glass with her bandaged hand. Remus' eyes fell on that bandage and his fork fell from his fingers with a clatter onto his plate. Before she could withdraw her hand he grasped it and pulled it and her toward him. He leaned forward and with trembling fingers, brought the hand to his nose. He took one long sniff, and gasping he leaped up from his chair.

"Oh, God!" he whispered furiously. "What have I done!?"

"This wasn't your fault!" Hermione insisted, seeing his distress.

"Yeah," Sirius muttered darkly, "it was Snape's."

"I bit you," Remus snapped. "I can smell it on you. Of course it was my fault!"

Hermione dropped her head, her stomach plummeting. "There's no hope for me then?"

Remus paled and walked around the table to take her hand again. He sniffed her from her fingers to her shoulder and then slowly backed away. "Your body has accepted the virus," he said sadly. "If it hadn't, you'd be dead or dying by now."

"Well, that's something anyway," she murmured. Better infected than dead.

Remus' face darkened. "How did this happen?" he demanded. "I wondered when I woke up on the bathroom floor, but you two weren't here. How did I get out?"

"We think you took the potion too late," Sirius told him. "You went after the attic door and I reinforced it, but it didn't hold and you got out. We were trying to leave, but we weren't fast enough."

"You should have killed me," Remus said through clenched teeth.

"Stop it!" Hermione yelled. "This was an accident. Stop being like this. God! I'm the one this is happening to, and you don't see me laying blame on anyone, so just stop it!" She slammed her hands down on the table and sprinted from the room.

Up in her room she felt the tears she had been suppressing all night roll unchecked down her cheeks. She was angry at Remus for his self-defeatist attitude, and she was terrified for her future. After a moment she felt a pair of warm arms encircle her body, followed shortly by a second pair.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," Remus whispered. "All I could think about was by part in this whole debacle. I never even thought about what you must be going through."

"We're here for you, honey," Sirius said from her other side. "You won't be going through this alone, I promise."

Hermione turned and hugged them both to her as she cried herself out, and after a while the logical, level-headed side of her emerged and she turned to Remus. "What can I expect?"

He frowned, thinking back to his childhood when he was bitten. There was much in his life that he didn't remember, but that first change was stark in his mind. The unimaginable agony of the change, the loss of control as the wolf took over, the need to bite – to tear into flesh, it was as clear in his mind as if it had happened just yesterday. Thank God for the wolfsbane potion. It enabled werewolves to keep a grip on their instincts and emotions during the full moon. Whereas before, long sections of memory were a red haze, he now knew everything that happened in his wolf form and could control it – until last night.

"The change is excruciating," he reluctantly told her. "However, once it's over there is this feeling of liberation and the pain is quickly forgotten until the sun rises then the pain starts again and then you'll feel completely drained and incredibly, ravenously hungry. You'll notice changes in yourself when the full moon nears. You'll begin to crave hardly cooked or raw meat. You'll feel invincible sometimes, like the consequences of your actions don't matter. There are other things as well, but I have plenty of books on the subject and you can borrow them whenever you want."

She nodded, "I already know a bit, but I'd love to read whatever you have." She suspected he was purposefully leaving things out, but she knew she could find out the rest on her own.

"Thankfully you won't be going through this alone," Sirius smiled gently. "There will be someone there with you, going through exactly what you are who can help you. I'm not completely useless myself, either."

"We'll have to tell Severus to make two doses of potion each month," Hermione said more to herself than anyone. "Oh, God! What am I going to tell my friends, my family!"

"This affliction isn't what it used to be," Remus said stoically. "The wolfsbane potion has made it easier for most people to accept us, and honestly, you don't have to tell anyone you don't want to. Now that the werewolf registry is sealed to the general wizarding public, it's easier to keep the affliction secret. It's up to you if you want to tell anyone, though you are supposed to register."

Hermione nodded. They had given her a lot to think about, and she did find it comforting that she wasn't alone in all of this. She would have to decide if and when to tell Harry and Ron. Of course they were both fairly preoccupied at the moment, and probably wouldn't notice anything amiss for quite some time. Out of the pair, Ron would probably take it the worst, so it was a good thing that he was away with the Chudley Cannons most of the time. Thinking about Ron always made her sad. They had seemed like the perfect couple, but there was just no fire between them. He had been so despondent when they had broken up, but after a time he too realized it was for the best, especially when the fan girls offered him things Hermione would never agree to. Still, he was one of her best friends and he always did have a fiery temper so he was likely to explode when he found out. He wouldn't be mad at her or Remus necessarily, but more so at yet another situation that was out of his control.

Hermione sighed. She was suddenly very tired and her two companions seemed to take note of this.

"Why don't you lie down for a while," Remus said, nudging her toward the bed. "When you wake up I'll bring you some books."

Read and review please!


	3. First change

It took Hermione six days to read every book Remus had on the subject of Lycanthropy. Considering that he had given her over twenty books she felt confident that she had learned enough to get by for now although there were still some things she was curious about. His books mainly dealt with the virus' effect on male werewolves. This made sense because he was a male werewolf, but she knew that females varied in some respects and he had very little information on them.

She planned to take a trip to Hogwarts to scour the restricted section for anything she could find on female werewolves. That actually worked out well since she had to talk to Severus about the potion anyway. Sirius insisted on being there when she spoke with him, but she really didn't think that was a good idea. That situation could become volatile almost instantly. Since the war Severus and Sirius had settled into a quiet sort of loathing, but this catastrophe could ignite them like sparks on black powder.

Hermione waited until the men left her alone and then she secretly apparated to the gates of the school. It felt wonderful to be back here. It felt like ages when in reality it had only been about a year and a half. She enjoyed the walk, and even stopped for a few minutes to say hello to Hagrid. He had been thrilled at her unexpected visit and invited her to come by again for tea and rock cakes. She smiled and said she'd try to do it soon. The castle looked wonderful considering a large part of it had needed to be rebuilt after the final battle. Once inside she felt like she'd come home. She had spent seven of her happiest years within these walls and the nostalgia was almost overwhelming.

Several students stopped to talk to her as they made their way to classes. She was something of a celebrity to them as a major player in the defeat of Voldemort. She patiently talked to each, answering their questions and even signing a few autographs, which amused and confused her. Afterward she made her way to the headmaster's office, which was now, appropriately, Severus Snape's office. He had gratefully accepted the job after Professor McGonagall had retired after the war. After giving the password she made her way up, and knocked lightly on the door.

"Come in," Snape called. He looked up when Hermione entered and a small smile played around his mouth. "Ah, the famous know-it-all," He said silkily, "What can I do for you?"

"Hello, professor," she said fondly as she walked over and pulled him into an unexpected hug. "It's good to see you again."

Snape hesitated and then gently hugged her back. "You look well, Hermione, and please, call me Severus. I haven't been your professor for quite some time."

"Old habits die hard," she shrugged as she sat down across from him.

"So, is this a social visit or did you need something?" he asked, still smiling.

"I wish it were only a social visit," she sighed. "Actually, I was wondering if I might check a few books out of the restricted section."

"Of course," He readily agreed. "Might I ask what you're looking for? I might be able to steer you in the right direction, not that you didn't spend enough time there when you were a student."

She grinned unrepentantly, "No, I know what I'm looking for. However I do need to ask you for a favor."

He arched an eyebrow at her. "Oh?"

She decided not to mince words, so she dove right in. "Yes, I was hoping you would prepare and send us two doses of wolfsbane potion from now on."

Severus' eyes widened then narrowed and he smirked. "Let me guess, the werewolf finally bit Black during one of their little midnight _romps_." He said the last with lascivious inflection.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "No, actually it's for me."

"WHAT!?!" Severus screeched after gaping at her for several seconds. "What happened?"

Hermione flushed red at his incredulous tone. "We think Remus took the potion too late to be effective. He lost control and broke out of the room we had secured him in and he…well…he bit me before I could get out of the house."

Severus' face fell and he seemed on the verge of anger and guilt. "I knew I should have stayed," he said to himself. "I suspected that it might have been too late for the potion to work properly, but I had a pressing matter to attend to here, and I just left you to fend for yourself. Wait, where was Black while you were being mauled!?"

"I wasn't mauled," she corrected him stiffly. "He merely grazed my hand with his teeth while _Sirius_ and I were trying to get out the door. I just wasn't quick enough."

He shook his head sadly. "Oh, Hermione! I am so very sorry! I should have realized…"

"Oh, not you too!" she snapped, cutting him off. "It's not Remus' fault, it's not your fault, and it's not Sirius' fault either. It's no one's fault! This was just an unfortunate accident."

"An accident you'll have to live with for the rest of your life!" he shouted miserably.

"Yes, it's one _I_ have to live with, and I'm not blaming anyone, so no one else should either!" she retorted thickly. "So please, just drop it. Now, will you make two doses from now on?"

He opened his mouth to argue, but she glared at him. "Yes, of course I will." He sighed.

"Thank you," she nodded curtly. "Now, I need to find my books and get back. I'll see you in a few weeks, all right?"

Hermione did manage to find a few things of interest in the restricted section, but much to her disappointment, their selection of books on female werewolves was very, very slim. This confused her and she asked Ms. Pince if she knew where she might find such books elsewhere. The response she got was very distressing. According to the librarian there were so few reported cases of female werewolves which was why hardly any information was known. She said that for every fifteen werewolves made approximately one was female, but that wasn't why there was so little information. Because there were so few females, the den males often competed for them. If they couldn't be won or coerced the males, in a mating frenzy, would kidnap or simply rape them, often killing them in the process. The average life expectancy of a female werewolf was one year after first infection.

Once home she flipped through the books and quickly discovered where Pince had gotten that information. The book went on to explain that female werewolves are often more ostracized than males and therefore are more inclined to want to live in dens where they are more readily accepted. Females not in dens usually try and isolate themselves to keep their condition a secret to avoid bias and detection by random pack males who might try and harm them. Remus had experience with pack environments. She was going to have to ask him what he knew.

Sirius and Remus arrived home an hour after Hermione and she pulled Remus aside and asked him if there were any females in the den he had spied on during the war. He told her that during the entire time he had been there, only one female wolf had lived in the den, and she had died during a Ministry raid. That news was disappointing, and more than frustrating.

It was exasperating for someone who craved information in general to be denied it when it really mattered. An idea struck her then. She was soon going to be experiencing first hand exactly what it was to be a female werewolf. If the information about them didn't already exist, then she could be the one to bring it to the world. She could keep journals and write down everything she went through and then later publish her findings.

She asked Remus what he thought of her idea and he said that such a project would be a treasure to the wizarding world, however, it might also expose her to scrutiny and that could reveal her condition to the general public. He warned that if she didn't want her affliction to become general knowledge that she might want to rethink the whole thing, or at the very least be careful to write in such a way to make it seem as though she were a third person observer, and not the actual subject. Hermione agreed, having already considered this, and the next day she bought several lined notebooks and some new quills.

For the majority of that moon cycle, the only major change in her body that she noticed was a lack of her usual menstrual cycle. Normally her period was regular and could be timed months in advance. She had never been late a day in her reproductive life, so when she missed it completely, it was quite disconcerting. What made it worse was that there was no one to ask about it.

Other than that, Hermione did notice that as the full moon neared she craved red, almost undercooked meat. As a person who rarely ate red meat to begin with this was also somewhat disturbing. Also, as the full moon neared she found that her energy level spiked. She could hardly sit still most days, and nights were worse. She thoroughly cleaned the house six times in three days and when she had run out of chores she had taken to pacing. Several times during the night she would wander down to the kitchen or library to find Remus there ahead of her. He smiled knowingly and invited her to join him. His company made it considerably easier on her, but as the time of the change approached, she became more and more frightened.

Finally the day had arrived. At breakfast that morning Severus arrived to drop off two doses of the wolfsbane potion. Hermione had to put a hand on Sirius' leg to keep him from leaping at the potions master. He was still very angry about the whole matter and looking for someone to blame. Hermione chatted with Severus for a few minutes and then thanked him before sending him on his way; the whole time Sirius sat glaring at him contemptuously.

At lunchtime Remus poured out the doses and gave one to Hermione. "It tastes terrible," he warned as she sniffed the foul looking potion. "It's best to drink it as quickly as possible and then chase it with something sweet like chocolate or butterbeer."

Hermione nodded, then took a deep breath and tipped the potion back. To say it was disgusting was insulting to disgusting things. Beyond the polyjuice potion in her second year, this was the worst thing she had ever consumed. Fighting the gag rising in her throat, she forced the entire thing down, and then panting, she took a large bite of the chocolate Remus offered her. It helped ease the taste, but only just. Remus gave her a wan smile and then stoically downed his potion as well.

"Because there are now two of us we will not be able to use to attic room as it will be too small," he said as he finished chewing a large chunk of chocolate. "So, Sirius has offered us the use of the sitting room for the night. I suggest you try and nap for a few hours and then we will meet there after dinner to wait for the change."

Hermione nodded all the while knowing that it was unlikely she would be able to sleep. Still she went up to her room to rest. She read for a while, but found that she couldn't concentrate for nerves and ended up simply watching the sun make its way across the sky. Finally when it was an hour till nightfall she changed into her loosest clothes and went downstairs to fix dinner. Sirius and Remus ate like it was any other night, but her appetite was not with her and she merely pushed her food around.

Soon Remus indicated that it was time and they made their way to the sitting room. Deciding not to take any chances, Sirius warded all of the windows and reinforced the door before saying goodnight and locking them in.

"How long will it be?" Hermione asked as her nervous fingers twisted an errant lock of hair.

"Not long now," he said softly, intending to sooth her, but only succeeding in scaring her more. "Soon you'll begin to feel achy in your muscles, and then your skin will begin to itch. That's how it starts. After that the ache goes deeper and your bones will hurt, like you've just run a marathon. Your heart will begin to pound and then the pain will run deeper. I'm afraid that you will experience agony second only to the cruciatus curse tonight."

"I've felt that before, you know," Hermione told him flatly. "Bellatrix used it on me to try and get information out of me. It was…" she trailed off, not wanting to remember and knowing that soon enough she would. Remus nodded sadly and sat down to wait.

They watched the fire burn brightly in the grate for a while and soon Hermione found herself rubbing at her arms and legs. The ache was mild at first, but it quickly began to grow. Around that same time her fingers and scalp began to itch as if she were having an allergic reaction to something. She glanced up at Remus and noticed him scratching his face which had become red and blotchy.

Suddenly the pain changed and she gasped and began furiously massaging her limbs. That one gasping breath became another and another as her pulse began to race and the pain went deeper still. It felt like her skin was too tight on her bones; like it would split open at any second – and then it did.

Hermione's body contorted as her form began to elongate and long patches of fur began forcing its way through her torn flesh. Her clothes felt like iron weights on her body and she ripped at them, pulling them off and throwing them away from her- uncaring that she wasn't alone. She screamed as several things happened at once. Her face and teeth burned as they grew, her bones snapped as they changed shape and bent at odd angles, her rear end split open and her spine began to lengthen into a tail, and her skull reshaped itself to make room for her ears to move higher atop her head.

She prayed for it to be over, or in lieu of that for her mind to give up and allow blackness to swallow her until the metamorphosis was finished, but that wasn't to be. She felt every second of the agony as she fell forward onto the ground to watch her fingers swell and long black claws emerge from her fingertips. She was equally horrified and fascinated as her hands became lupine paws. Finally her scream changed pitch and volume and became one long howl.

When it was done, she laid panting on the floor; her canine sides heaving with the effort to pull much needed oxygen into her pain ridden form. It was only then she heard Remus' last agonized scream become a howl. She had completely forgotten he was even in the room with her until just then. Slowly she turned her head and watched him collapse just as she had.

As her pain faded she began to notice something new. She could smell absolutely _everything_. Some smells, like that of Remus' abandoned clothes and his new wolf form were much more interesting than others, but she could detect them all like wispy flavors in the air. She could also hear things that she'd never imagined. There was a fly at the window and she could hear its wings beating as if it were right next to her. Someone was walking down the street and she could hear each footfall as they landed, and there was music from cars that drove by. Her eyesight was both better and worse. Objects seemed clearer and more defined even in the darkened room, but the colors were off, as though they had been bleached or darkened.

When she had enough energy, Hermione slow stood up on four trembling legs. She was surprised when she instinctively shook out the fur on her body from her head to her tail. She stretched her new body and then took her first hesitant step. It was odd being so close to the ground, but she found that she was surefooted as she slowly moved around. Curious about her new body, she made her way to a full length mirror in the corner of the room to investigate.

Her wolf form was beautiful, even to her own discriminating eyes. She was mostly a deep brown color, the same shade as her hair normally was, though her underbelly, face and limbs were several shades lighter. She turned this way and that to take in all of her form from her tufted tail to her perky ears. Honestly, she thought herself to be quite cute and she laughed; she sound coming out as a high huffing noise. She heard a deep huff from behind her and turned to see Remus watching her self inspection. He seemed quite amused by her curiosity.

With a wagging tail she pranced over to him. His smell was intriguing the closer she got and she sniffed his head and neck curiously. He sat still while she walked in a circle around him sniffing and pawing at his fur. Finally she sat in front of him and panted happily, wondering what they should do now. Remus watched her for a moment then curled up on the floor and closed his eyes.

Hermione whimpered at him. How could he go to sleep at a time like this? She had so much energy she wanted to dance or play so how could he lay there? She wanted to play dammit! With a high whine she pawed at his head and crouched down on her front paws; her tail wagging furiously.

Remus cracked and eye open and glanced at her before snuggling back down and sighing. Hermione whined again, pawing and huffing; trying to entice him to play but all he would do was grunt and curl up tighter. Still, she kept trying and finally he looked straight at her, shook his head, and gave a low warning growl.

Hermione whimpered and backed off; upset with his stubborn refusal, but then a noise grabbed her attention. The door, which was supposed to stay locked, cracked open and for a moment an arm was visible. Instinctively the hair on her back and neck stood up and a ferocious growl ripped through her teeth. A second later a scruffy black dog nudged the door open further and inched into the room, its large grey eyes watching her closely.

Hermione, still growling, cautiously approached the dog and sniffed deeply. _Sirius!_ She yipped happily and bounded toward him. Sirius' mouth fell open and his long tongue rolled out as he met her half way. He barked once and nodded as he circled her, examining her new body just as she had done. When he was finished he barked happily and pawed at her playfully. He wanted to play! With a happy yip she swatted at him and then darted away, encouraging him to follow, which he gladly did. They played tag, romping around the room trying to catch the other's tale as they bounded and leapt noisily around Remus' relaxed form. Eventually Sirius paused and looked over at his old friend. He whined and looked at Hermione, jerking his head in the grey and brown wolf's direction as if to say, "Why isn't he playing?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and shrugged as best she could and Sirius tilted his head in an adorably canine way and huffed out a barking laugh. It was just like Remus to act all old and dignified when those around him were being silly and childish. Sirius wagged his tail and nudged her forward and then without warning he pounced on Remus.

Remus grunted in surprise and then snarled at his friend. Hermione, understanding what Sirius was trying to do bounded in after him and together they yipped and pawed at the male wolf until he growled low in his chest and took an aggressive stance, like he was going to attack. Hermione immediately backed off, but Sirius only gave a light back and jumped back into it. When Remus backed down, Hermione resumed her taunting. Finally Remus relented and gave Hermione a playful nip on the neck and the three of them began to play.

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	4. Questions

All night they ran throughout the house playing tag and wrestling with each other. Hermione couldn't remember the last time she had ever had so much fun. They played until the first golden rays of sun began to lighten the night sky. Then they parted ways so that Hermione could change back in the comfort of her own room. She guessed that they were giving her privacy, knowing that she'd be stark naked after returning to her human form.

The change back was just as painful as before and once it was done Hermione fell exhausted into bed and didn't awaken until well after noon. When she finally got up she was very sore and her movements were slow and sluggish, but after a long hot bath she felt a little better. She was tempted to go back to bed and sleep the day away, but the smell of food cooking wafted up the stairs and her stomach growled loudly. She realized she was ravenously hungry and so she carefully made her way down to the kitchen.

Sirius was at the stove cooking a hearty lunch of meat and potatoes. It smelled wonderful. Of course, she was so hungry that he could have been cooking week old road kill and it probably would have made her mouth water. She gingerly sat down and waited while he served the meal. He had hardly moved his hand from her plate before she attacked the food with relish. Sirius chuckled and flexed his hand to make sure he still had all of his fingers.

"Hungry, eh?" he laughed as she nearly choked on an overly large mouthful.

Hermione could only nod as she took another huge bite. Sirius laughed again and then called out a greeting to Remus who had just walked in and collapsed into his chair. Like Hermione, Remus ate like a starving man. They ate much more than they usually would have, but Sirius didn't say anything. In fact, he had been prepared for that and had made more than enough food for six people.

Finally, their appetites sated, they moved into the sitting room to relax and digest.

"So, what did you think about the change?" Sirius asked as he poured everyone a drink.

Hermione accepted the glass he handed her and took a drink before responding. "The transformation was far more painful than I expected, but once it was over, I really enjoyed it."

"That's all due to the wolfsbane potion," Remus told her. "Before it was invented the transformation was far more dangerous. My scars are proof of that. "

"Yes, I've read about what it used to be like for your… ah, I mean, _OUR_ kind," she nodded. "And yes, and am infinitely grateful that the wolfsbane potion exists." She smiled lightly, her observant eyes taking in Remus' semi-ruffled, but generally healthy looking appearance.

"I don't mean to be rude or insulting Remus, but you look better right now than I've ever seen you after a full moon."

He gave her a half smile. "I've noticed that too," he told her, his eyes shining. "I feel better than usual as well. I'm not 100%; I'm still sore and tired, but I don't feel as battered as I usually do the next day. How do you feel?"

"The same," she said, "I'm a bit achy and I don't have much energy, but not bad. Why do you think that is?"

"I think it's because you were there," Sirius said, giving Hermione a meaningful look.

"What do you mean?" She and Remus asked together.

"Think about it," Sirius said, taking a sip of his fire whiskey. "You two weren't alone for this, and instead of using your excess energy to gnaw and scratch at yourselves, you played and had fun. Being wolves was actually enjoyable for you last night, and I think that's what made the difference."

Hermione frowned. "But, when you guys were in school, you used to play during the full moon too, and Remus said that he would wake up the next day feeling just terrible."

"Well, we didn't play so…gently," Sirius said, grinning. "We used to really fight and wrestle. It could get quite rough at times, and we all ended up with scars from those little adventures. Hell, I got my arm broken once during a particularly energetic sparring match. Last night was really tame compared to how we used to roughhouse."

"Boys," Hermione scoffed with distain.

The two men laughed and sipped at their drinks. "So, what do you think of your new senses?" Remus asked after a minute.

"What new senses?" Hermione said quizzically.

He gave her a puzzled look. "You haven't noticed?"

When she gave him a blank stare he arched an eyebrow. "Usually, after the first transformation a werewolf will begin to notice that their senses have greatly improved, most especially the senses of smell and hearing."

Hermione looked at him for a second then closed her eyes and took a deep breath through her nose. He was right she could smell almost as well as she could last night. She could smell the two men in the room and the way the alcohol mingled with the remnants of food on their breath. She could even detect the light fragrance of soap on their skin from their showers. Then she cocked her head to listen. She could hear their hearts beating and the whoosh of air as they breathed. She could even hear the muffled conversations of the people next door.

"Wow!" she breathed, obviously impressed. "That's amazing! How far can you hear?"

Remus shrugged. "It depends on where I am," he told her. "When we used to roam the forest, I could hear animals running from miles away. In this house, if I'm on the third floor, I can hear conversations in the kitchen."

"Do closed doors matter?" she asked nervously, thinking about the nights when she had tended to her own physical needs and neglected to soundproof the room.

"Not really," he said easily, not meeting her gaze, as if he knew what she has getting at.

Hermione blanched and moaned inwardly. He had heard her! Could it get any worse? She gasped quietly. "How about smells?" she asked quickly. "How sensitive is your nose?"

He blushed and cleared his throat. "Well, anytime someone touches anything, they leave a trace of their odor on it. I know when someone has just been in a room, and if I am familiar with that person's scent, I can identify them. If a person is in a room, their scent is everywhere and I can detect it as I walk by. You'll learn that there are parts of the body that give off more scent than others, and if those parts are exposed, or if they touch an object in a room, the person's scent is pervasive."

So it could get worse. Crap! "Um, what body parts?" she asked, uncertain that she really wanted to know.

Remus cleared his throat and glanced at Sirius who was grinning evilly.

"Yes, what body parts, Remus?" he asked, thoroughly enjoying this conversation.

Remus glared at him and cleared his throat again. "Well the skin, of course, then there's the head and hair, the neck, the mouth, the armpits, and…the undercarriage."

"Undercarriage?" Hermione repeated feebly.

"He means the crotch and ass," Sirius clarified unnecessarily. "That's why dogs sniff each other's back sides. You can learn more about a person in 30 seconds of crotch sniffing than you could in 30 minutes of conversation."

"Like what?" she asked, both horrified and fascinated.

Sirius shrugged, "Oh, what they've eaten recently, where they've been, and who they've been with, and sometimes what they've been up to…" he said the last in a lecherous tone and waggled his eye brows suggestively.

"You're saying that you can smell when a person has been…intimate with someone else," She said, blushing.

"Or with themselves," he nodded. "Or even if they just want to."

"You mean that you can smell…arousal?" her flush darkened. She couldn't believe she was having this conversation.

"The smell of arousal is very pungent and distinct," Remus said, staring at the floor. His face was just as red as hers. "It's because of the increased blood flow and the fluids involved."

"Oh, God," she moaned, mortified.

"Don't worry, Hermione," Sirius chuckled as he waved a quelling hand. "Sex is a natural part of life. Nearly every living creature does it, and no one here is judging anyone else."

Oh, GOD!" she repeated indignantly. "Well, that's enough of that. I'm tired and I'm going to bed," She huffed as she tossed back the last of her drink before slamming the glass down and jumping to her feet. "Good night!" She wanted to storm from the room, but her achy muscles protested and she ended up hobbling away instead. Sirius' laughter followed her all the way up to her room, and was still audible even after she closed the door. Damn it.


	5. Of scents and nightmares

For the next month Hermione kept up a very detailed record of everything she experienced. There had been a lot to write about. It seemed like every day her senses got stronger. She could walk into a room and identify who had been in there hours after they'd left. She could smell food cooking in the kitchen from outside the house and even separate the odor of each individual ingredient. She could hear whispered conversations from two rooms away as if she were taking part in them. That's how she discovered that both Sirius and Remus thought she was attractive.

One night, about two weeks after the full moon, she was sitting in the library writing in her journal when the men's low, hushed voices broke into her thoughts. It annoyed her that her new abilities were interfering with her concentration and she was just attempting to block them out when she heard her name.

"Have you seen her recently, Moony?" she heard Sirius say. "I mean, she was pretty cute before, but hot _DAMN_!"

"Yes, I have noticed," Remus murmured. "But I can't quite put my finger on it. I mean, yes, even though she is half our age, I haven't exactly been blind to her beauty, but now she is positively breathtaking. I've been trying to figure out if she's doing something different with her hair or makeup or something, but her hair is just the same as always, and she doesn't usually wear makeup."

"She smells better," Sirius said simply. "Since the change, her smell is much more…I don't know…_mouthwatering_, I guess."

Remus grunted in agreement. "But, it's more than that. She _looks_ different. Better, if that's possible."

"Tell me about it," Sirius mumbled darkly. "The other day she brushed passed me at breakfast, and I couldn't stand up for fifteen minutes without embarrassing myself. I was worried that she'd sense it, but thankfully she doesn't seem to know what desire smells like yet."

"Knowing her, she'll figure it out soon enough," Remus sighed. "Things are going to become very awkward for a while, I fear."

"I did notice something strange though," Sirius said, thoughtfully. "When Harry, Ginny, Bill, and Fleur came for dinner a few days ago, I watched Harry to see if he noticed anything different about her, and he seemed completely indifferent like nothing was wrong, but Bill was staring at her like she was a creamy pastry just begging to be eaten. I'm not sure what to make of it."

"Hmm," Remus murmured thoughtfully. "That is something, actually. Think about it. There are two things that Bill, you and I have in common."

"We're all incredibly good looking?" Sirius suggested coyly.

"We're all males who have canine senses," Remus said. "Whatever change we're detecting in her must only be noticeable to canines. This must have something to do with her wolf."

"I wonder what it is," Sirius said more to himself.

Hermione wondered too. She had mixed feelings about the fact that they thought she was beautiful. It was disconcerting because they were so much older, but at the same time it was thrilling because they were both experienced, extremely handsome men. But, what was this other thing they were talking about? She had changed somehow? Her smell had changed? Sure, there had been some new developments in her life, like her senses, and the fact that she had skipped yet another period, but she felt generally the same as before.

She decided to pay closer attention to the men's reactions when she was around. She also decided to pay more attention to the way they smelled. They said she would be able to smell arousal, and she found herself to be extremely curious about that. What an interesting ability that could be!

Over the next week she watched her housemates closely. They seemed fine and normal when she spoke to them from across a room, but if she got too close, or touched them they would stiffen and a peculiar odor would emanate from them. When she detected the odor she would take a deep breath; pulling it from her nose and mouth down to her lungs. It was delicious; warm, and spicy, and tangy. It made her wonder what she smelled like to them. If her scent was half as tasty to them as theirs was to her it was no wonder they reacted the way they did when she was near.

About the same time she began to notice a heavy sensation in her womb, as if her period was going to start, but it never did. If fact, she got most of the usual menstrual symptoms just without the cramps or bleeding. The closer she got to the full moon, the more she noticed it. Her breasts were tender, she was tired, emotional, and most importantly, she was horny as hell.

The men started avoiding her at all costs, which was both a curse and a blessing. She was lonely and craved their company, but when she was near enough to whiff that delicious scent it drove her to distraction, of course, she knew that her smell might be doing the same to them. She was very nervous about that as well. What if they didn't want to be there with her during the change? What if they left her to go through that agony and the subsequent seclusion all by herself? The thought truly frightened her. She wasn't ready to do that alone.

The night before the full moon she decided to confront them. After eating dinner alone in the kitchen _again_, she sought them out in the sitting room and asked them coldly and directly if they were planning on abandoning her. They were startled by her abrupt intrusion, but when they took in her vulnerable emotional state they softened and assured her that no, they would never let her go through it alone.

Hermione fell into bed exhausted that night, but her sleep was not restful. She kept having horrible nightmares about being stalked by an unknown enemy and no matter where she hid or how fast she ran they were always just a step behind. She awoke covered in sweat gasping for air. The nightmare had really disturbed her and it made the darkness of her room seem oppressive and forbidding. Fear was lodged deep inside her and she knew she couldn't stay in her room any longer.

She went down to the kitchen to get a cold drink, hoping to calm her nerves, but when she got there she found Remus sitting at the table. He seemed to be half asleep; his head resting on his arms, but when she walked in he sat up.

"Oh, hello Hermione," he said sluggishly. "What brings you down here at this time of night?"

"I had a nightmare," she shrugged. "I came to drink it away."

Remus chuckled. "I see," he said.

"Are nightmares a common thing for you?" she asked as she poured a small glass of fire whiskey.

He sighed and nodded. "Yes, they can be."

Hermione sat down across from him and he flinched at the proximity, but didn't move away. "What do you do when you have nightmares?" she asked, taking a large sip.

He spread his arms wide and gave her a boyish smile. "You're looking at it."

"You sleep in the kitchen?"

Remus chuckled. "I come here for comfort food, and yes, sometimes I fall asleep here as well. It's not terribly comfortable, but it helps keep the monsters at bay."

Hermione giggled and then finished her drink. She mopped her hands over her face and rubbed her eyes as she yawned widely.

"Tired?" he asked as he watched her.

"Drained," she mumbled, feeling the alcohol rush to her head.

He watched her eyes begin to close and he frowned. "Why don't you go back up to bed?"

Hermione shook her head. ""I'll stay here, thanks," she retorted mildly. "I'm still too shaken up from that stupid dream. I don't want to go back to that dark room alone."

He watched her droop for another minute before sighing in frustration. "How about if I take you up there?" he offered. "I'll stay with you until you fall asleep."

Hermione scoffed. "You don't have to do that. I'm a big girl."

"I know," he said gently. "I just want to help. You need your rest before tomorrow night and you look like you're about to drop."

"I am," she moaned, running her fingers through her hair.

"Come on, then." He stood up and walked over to her, and helping her to her feet, he ushered her back up the stairs to her room before gently lowering her down onto the bed.

"Will you stay?" she asked sleepily.

"Yes, for a while."

She made room for him and he crawled in next to her, careful not to touch her. Remus lay there for a while listening to her breathe. It was incredibly difficult to be so close to her when she smelled so damned enticing. His reaction was almost painful and it took everything he had not to simply roll over, pull her gorgeous body beneath his and take her.

Fantasies blazed through his mind. He imagined his mouth on hers, his hands stroking roughly over her body. He imagined her panting his name as he licked his way from her throat to her creamy thighs. He could practically taste her under his tongue and it made his mouth water.

Remus shook himself out of his reverie to find his body covered in perspiration. He knew he couldn't stay here with her without doing something he would later regret so he quickly began to ease off the bed. Her hand darted out and grabbed his wrist, halting him.

"I'm not asleep yet," she complained. "Please stay for a little while longer."

He hesitated, glancing at the door which was his only means of escape from this salacious hell, but then he looked down at her, and the pleading look on her face stopped him from retreating.

"All right," he relented, lying down again. Her scent enveloped him again and his body ached for relief. To distract himself from his desires he began to list, alphabetically, every spell that he knew. He only got to M for Muffliato before sleep took him.

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	6. The heat of the moment

Warning: This chapter contains themes of a mature nature.

It was late morning before Remus awoke. He yawned and went to stretch but there was something wrong. He was wrapped around the most wonderful smelling thing he had ever encountered. His leg was thrown over her hip which meant that his newly sprouted erection was pressed firmly against her backside. His arm was wrapped around her chest and as he moved his hand he felt the fullness of her breast under his palm and her pert nipple between his fingers.

She moaned and shifted, rubbing her body against his. Fire raced through him and he muffled a groan against her hair as his hips bucked reflexively. It was too much, but not enough by far. Gathering up every ounce of courage and willpower he had, Remus moved away from her and got to his feet. Hermione moaned again lightly and rolled onto her back to take up the space he had just abandoned. She looked so beautiful, and inviting, but he knew he couldn't stay. With one last longing look he quietly slipped from the room.

The sound of talking rose up from below, and once he got himself under control he made his way down to the kitchen. Severus and Remus were drinking coffee at the table. Apparently Sirius had decided to forgive Snape and so he was being civil again.

"Where have you been," Sirius said as he walked in.

"Sleeping," Remus replied stiffly, pouring himself a cup and sitting down next to his old friend. Sirius frowned when he sat and took a deep breath. His eyes widened and he turned to stare at him.

Remus mentally kicked himself. He should have showered before he came down here. Hermione's new odor was so potent that even from a distance he would smell like he'd bathed in it. Sirius gave him a look that promised a series of intrusive questions, but thankfully, he didn't say anything in front of Severus.

"Thank you for the coffee, Black," Severus said as he set his cup down and reached into his robes. "Lupin, here are the potions for you and the know-it-all." He said as he pulled out the bottles and handed them to Remus. "How is she, by the way? How did everything go last month?"

"She handled it very well," Remus told him as he took the potions and set them aside. "After the pain, she actually seemed to enjoy it."

Severus grunted and a ghost of a smile played around his mouth. "She has never been afraid of a challenge, has she?"

The men laughed for a moment and then Severus got to his feet. "Well, tell her I say 'hello' and not to be a stranger." With that he bid them good day and stepped into the fire where he vanished in a flash of green.

"Sooo," Sirius said, grinning evilly. Remus stiffened and closed his eyes, wishing deeply that he was anywhere else just now.

"There are two things I'm absolutely sure of, mate." Sirius went on. "One: you didn't sleep in your room last night, I know, I was looking for you. In fact, I couldn't find you anywhere." He raised his eyebrows suggestively. "And two: You smell fucking fantastic and I know it has nothing to do with your new soap. So, what were you up to last night?"

Remus sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I was just sitting here and she came in to get a drink. She said she'd had a bad dream, and she was very tired but she was too afraid to sleep alone, so I took her back to bed and offered to stay with her until she fell asleep, but I ended up passing out. That's all."

"You passed out?" Sirius said, disappointment and disbelief lacing his tone. "Nothing more?"

"Nothing more," Remus repeated flatly. "But I am concerned about tonight."

"How so?"

"If her new scent has something to do with her wolf, then after the change it is possible it will get even stronger. With us being in our animal forms it might be nearly impossible to stop ourselves from attacking her. I would suggest that I be locked away in a different room, and for you to stay human. The problem is we've promised her we'll be there with her. Frankly, I'm concerned that she is in more danger from us than from her wolf. Maybe we should tell her we can't be near her while she is changed until her smell returns to normal."

"_If_ her smell returns to normal," Sirius pointed out. "What if this is a permanent thing?"

Remus had considered that and it worried him. "Then hopefully over time we'll become desensitized to it."

Sirius sighed deeply. "Who's going to tell her…?"

"Tell me what?" Hermione said on a yawn as she shuffled into the room. "Good morning, guys."

"Ah…" The two men looked at each other pleadingly, neither of them wanting to be the one to disappoint her.

Finally Remus gave in. "Hermione, we need to talk to you."

"What's up?" she asked as she grabbed a cup of coffee and joined them at the table.

"Listen, it's about tonight," he said quickly. "I don't think, that is, _we_ don't think it would be a good idea to go through the change together."

"What?" she asked, fear rising in her chest. "But you promised I wouldn't have to go through this alone. You said you'd be with me!"

The men exchanged another miserable look.

"Listen, love," Sirius said softly. "We don't think it would be safe for you just now to have us there with you."

"What do you mean 'safe'," she said semi hysterically. "I won't be safe without you there!"

"You must have noticed that we've been acting strangely around you," Remus explained. "It's because your smell is affecting us in a particularly physical way. It started a few weeks ago after the full moon which leads us to think that it must have something to do with your wolf. If that's the case, then it's possible that it will only get stronger after you change tonight. It might be too hard for us to keep our distance from you and we can't guarantee that we won't hurt you if it ends up being too much."

"No, I can't go through this alone!" she protested, tears forming in her eyes. "You promised when this happened to me that I'd never have to be alone. You won't hurt me and even if you do, I don't care…_please_!"

Heartbreaking tears rolled down her cheeks and the men stared at each other helplessly. They knew they couldn't deny her, but they also knew that to allow this was incredibly stupid and dangerous.

"Fine," Remus caved. "But if you feel that we're out of control, you must try and get away. Sirius can change back and help me keep my distance, but even the potion can't repress all instincts. Your safety is our number one concern."

Hermione didn't understand why she was so emotional. Logically, she knew she could handle this on her own as long as she took the potion, but the logical part of her mind was currently being overrun by intense irrational fear, and she couldn't suppress it. Beyond that she felt generally odd. She was more anxious than usual and she could feel her energy level rising, which she expected, but this was far more powerful than last time. The energy made her feel aggressive and almost needful. That's what worried her the most. She didn't know how she would handle that much excessive, unrestrained energy without the men there to help her run it off like last time. She truly thought that she would lose her mind if left on her own.

She took a breath to calm herself and nodded. "I understand, and it's not my intention to cause you two any undue stress, but I really need you to stay with me tonight. I just can't be alone."

Remus didn't feel right agreeing to this, but he didn't know what else to do. He was the reason for all of this mess. Whether she wanted to acknowledge it or not, all of this was his fault. She was right that he'd promised her from the beginning that she'd never have to be alone, but he was truly dreading this night.

They took their potions a half hour later and the men discretely excused themselves to escape her overwhelming scent. Hermione noticed how anxious they were to get away from her, but she didn't say anything and instead went back to her room to try and write in her journal. She found it difficult to keep her focus with the abundance of energy filling her body. It seemed that with every passing hour her energy level doubled until finally, at about an hour until moonrise, she was practically bouncing off the walls.

Finally it was time to meet up with the guys in the sitting room. They were already there when she walked in, and even though they were both at the far side of the room, they couldn't stop their reactions when she appeared. They froze and then went all tense as if they were going to bolt from the room.

Remus and Sirius knew the instant she was there. It was as if in the past few hours her scent had been amplified 100%. What they had been exposed to over the past weeks was nothing compared to the highly concentrated perfume that enveloped them now. At first, breathing in the potent aroma was like being sucker-punched in the gut, but soon the shock of it morphed into a nearly hysterical lust.

"Oh _fuck_!" Sirius hissed, and he took a menacing step toward her, his expression hard and fixed.

Remus growled warningly and grabbed his arm to halt his progress. Sirius turned, wild eyed, to snap at him, but he seemed to collect himself at the last moment and retreated further into the corner.

Hermione paused in the doorway. She knew something was up because she could smell their desire from across the room. The air was thick with it and it was making her body clench and her knees tremble. When Sirius began to stalk her from across the room her first impulse was to run, but her legs refused to move and a burning heat ran the length of her from her thighs to her chest. She was just beginning to think that maybe they had been right about this being a bad idea when the first pains hit her.

The transformation seemed to happen much faster than it had before. It was also much more painful and Hermione couldn't stop herself from screaming as she fell to the floor in agony. It took everything she had to remember to pull off her clothes as her skin exploded in fur. As her wolf emerged she heard echoing screams and growls from nearby and when she was finally able to lift her head she saw Remus complete the transformation. Sirius' dog was already there, but he was pacing the floor anxiously, his fixed stare never leaving her prone form.

Finally Remus stopped quivering and when he got to his feet he too turned to stare at her. He sniffed the air in her direction and raised his lips in a feral snarl as he slowly moved forward, Sirius flanking him closely. Hermione stayed flat to the floor, watching nervously as they approached her.

Their noses touched her and together they circled her canine body. She knew enough to stay perfectly still as they investigated her, sensing that any resistance on her part might cause them to attack. When they reached her tail, however she couldn't stop herself from leaping to her feet and snarling furiously.

Instead of backing off, the males dropped into attack positions and bared their teeth as they snapped and growled, making her cower. The instinct to roll over and expose her belly in submission took her and she lay down before them. At once they were there sniffing every inch of her belly until they reached her sex. She whimpered as they began furiously licking at the place where the odor's concentration was highest. They seemed almost possessed by the smell and taste of her until Remus unexpectedly jerked forward and snapped at her face again.

Hermione jumped to her feet and backed away instantly. Remus slowly back away as well as he cast Sirius a pleading look. Sirius nodded once as some unspoken message passed between them and he crossed to the other side of the room where he quickly transformed back into his human form.

"Hermione!" he shouted as both wolves turned to growl at him. "You need to get out of here. I'll help you get up to your room, but then you have to stay there. We won't have enough control to stop ourselves otherwise. We know what's happening now. You're in _heat_!"

That revelation stopped the female wolf in her tracks, but Sirius had to quickly change back before the male wolf instinctively attacked him.

Hermione was in shock. She was in heat? What the hell was he talking about? Humans didn't go in to heat; they had periods…which she's missed twice now…, but, no, it was impossible. He couldn't be right. Didn't dogs bleed when they went into heat? She was sure she wasn't bleeding, but then she looked down at the floor under her tail and she saw the traitorous drops of red. It was too bizarre. It just couldn't be happening. But then, it all started to add up. The smell, the emotions, the lust, the way they acted when she was near…

_Oh, shit_! She thought as Sirius made his way over to her. He was pushing her with his nose, trying to force her out the door while Remus backed himself unwillingly away from her. It took several seconds for her to understand that she needed to go, but finally she allowed him to push her out of the room.

Sirius nudged her up the stairs and into her room. Once she was safely there he turned to leave, but a low whine made him pause and look back. Hermione took several hesitant steps forward, then to his incredulous disbelief she turned her back to him and raised herself up on her haunches. She was offering herself to him! Sirius had only taken a few halting steps forward when she seemed to come to her senses. She bounded away to the other side of the bed and he left the room, becoming human long enough to close the door and lock her inside. A long lonesome howl rose up the stairs from below and she answered it; sending out all of her confusion and bereft anguish in that one lingering, desolate song.

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	7. Unbearable Warning: Explicit!

This chapter contains very mature themes. 18 and older only!

It was an hour after sunrise when the men found themselves in the kitchen. They had just finished eating a huge breakfast, and were resting after a long stressful night. After Hermione left, Sirius had had his hands full trying to control his own instincts, while simultaneously trying to keep Remus in check. The male wolf had seemed to lose his mind once the female was gone. He had howled balefully most of the night and several times he tried to escape the room to get to the female whose intoxicating scent still lingered in the air. Thankfully the wards Sirius had placed on her door kept her smell from leaching out into the hall. Otherwise the male wolf might have tried to break down her door.

To Sirius' relief the mating frenzy had subsided as the moon had set and night ended. They both still felt extremely wound up even now after they had reverted to human form, but it wasn't nearly as intense as before. Remus apologized sincerely for his out-of-control behavior, but Sirius waved his words away, admitting that if he hadn't had the distraction he would have broken her door down himself.

"I wonder where she is anyway?" he asked, frowning slightly. "I hope she's not embarrassed about all of this. I don't want her avoiding us over something that she couldn't possibly control."

"She must be starving by now," Remus said, shaking his head sadly. "I hate to think she's suffering because she's too embarrassed to be around us. Maybe I should go apologize for my behavior last night."

Sirius nodded. "Let me make her a tray, that way she can eat in her room if she wants." He put together a large plate of food and a carafe of juice on a portable tray and handed it to his friend. "Tell her to get some rest, and that I'll give her my apology later when she's feeling up to it."

Remus thanked him and carefully walked the tray up the stairs, mindful of his sore muscles and the general weakness that accompanies the change. Once at her door he transferred the tray to one arm and knocked lightly. When no answer came he called her name and knocked again. When there was still no response he became worried and pulled out his wand to unlock the door.

"Hermione?" he called as he cracked the door an inch. Her overpowering odor wafted out the door and he staggered back from its intensity. If anything it was more concentrated than before. Then the sound of whimpering caught his attention.

"Hermione?" he gasped, really concerned now. She sounded like she was in agony. He turned his head to suck in some relatively untainted air, then he held his breath and stepped into the room. What he saw stopped him in his tracks.

She was lying naked on the bed with one hand kneading her breast and the other rubbing furiously between her parted thighs. Her back was arched and her head was thrashing back and forth on her pillow.

The hand that held the tray trembled as all of the blood that controlled his non-essential organs, such as his brain, travelled straight to his groin. Remus gulped and stood rooted to the spot as she moaned and then turned to look at him.

"I don't know what's wrong with me!" she cried. "I can't stop! Please, help me!"

His feet moved before the rest of his body could process what was happening. He didn't remember setting the tray down, but suddenly it was gone and he was at her bedside, staring longingly down at her. She moved the hand from her breast and held it out to him and he was lost.

With a growl that was almost feral in its intensity, Remus fell on her. His mouth captured hers and his hands descended on her body with an enthusiasm he didn't know he possessed. Hermione gasped and wrapped her legs around his waist; pulling him to her while her hands ripped and tore at his shirt. Remus sat up long enough to yank off the offending material and then he was kissing her again.

"The bottoms too, please…" she hissed as she tugged on his waistband.

"Not yet," he growled as he pulled her hands above her head, exposing all of her silky flesh to him. He bit and licked his way to her breasts where he latched on to one nipple and then the other, making her wild all over again.

Her skin was already super sensitized and his rough exploration made her arch against him. She didn't understand the wild abandon she felt, but it had plagued her non-stop all night. Even after the transformation back her body felt enflamed and she couldn't bring herself to put on clothes. The needful lust she had felt for the last several days quickly became unbearable and when she couldn't stand it anymore she had tried to ease her suffering, but her self-ministrations only seemed to fan the flames higher. She had no idea how many orgasms she'd had, but she was still desperate for more.

When Remus had finished with her breasts his exploration continued southward to her stomach and below. To her chagrin he purposefully overlooked her moist center and instead licked up and down her damp thighs, each time coming perilously close to where she needed him to be but just missing it. Hermione cried out in frustration and grabbed him by the hair to try and guide him to where she needed him the most.

He chuckled and glanced up at her. "Impatient, Love?" he teased as he grazed his nose along her eager opening.

"Remus, please!" she pleaded, lifting her body toward him.

Finally he took pity on her and ducked his head down to drag his tongue along her dripping core. Hermione screamed and tightened her fists in his hair. Remus didn't seem to notice as wrapped up as he was in the taste of her. She tasted like the sweetest most exotic wine imaginable. It was beyond anything he could ever have conceived of and he was instantly addicted. He could feel her body trembling beneath him, and he could hear her screaming his name, but he couldn't stop. He felt her come against his tongue again and again and even when she was panting and begging him to give her a moment he couldn't.

Finally his own need became too much to ignore and he reluctantly pulled his mouth away from her delicious core. He sat up and yanked off his bottoms before quickly positioning himself at her entrance and slamming into her. Hermione gasped and lifted her hips to meet him thrust for thrust. This was what she wanted. The felling of him filling her, and the friction as he rubbed her hidden sweet spot again and again made her eyes roll back in her head.

Remus knew he was close. The frustration he had endured for weeks due to her heat, and everything that happened last night had sent his body into overload, but he could feel her inner muscles tightening around him and he wanted her to finish either before or with him, so he lifted her hips to angle himself against her G-spot and then he rolled his hips.

The orgasm that hit Hermione seemed to go on forever; every time it began to fade Remus would slam into her, setting her off again. She was gasping, unable to catch her breath until finally she felt his pace quicken and he threw his head back and yelled to the ceiling as his own release took him. He collapsed onto her then as his strength gave and his own lungs struggled to take in enough air.

He realized then just how exhausted he was. Hermione, however, seemed unaffected by the fact that she had gone through a tremendously taxing transformation not two hours ago, nor did she seem overly fazed by the exuberant energy sapping ecstasy she had just endured. In fact she was already wiggling her hips temptingly, and nipping at his ear.

"Sweetheart, I really wish I could, but I'm about to collapse," he panted.

She whined pleadingly and kissed him, but after a moment he pulled away. "I want to," he insisted. "But I have nothing left." He saw the lust in her eyes and wished he weren't so gone, but then an idea struck him.

"Wait here, love," he said as he dragged himself to his feet and pulled on his bottoms. She watched him curiously as he smiled and stepped into the hall way, closing the door behind him.

"Sirius!" Remus called down the stairs. "Come here!"

Sirius opened the kitchen door and stuck his head out. "What is it?"

"I need to go to bed, but Hermione needs you. Can you come up here?" Remus asked, leaning on the railing for support.

Sirius blinked and nodded. "Yeah, of course. I'll be right up."

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	8. Helping out Warning: Explicit

My sincerest thanks to everyone who was read and reviewed this story so far! Thank you! Keep em' coming!

Warning: Adult content. Smutty smut ahead.

Sirius walked slowly toward the stairs. It had been a long night and he was tired, but he knew that Remus and Hermione's night had been worse which was why he had no qualms about comforting the poor girl now if she needed him.

He glanced up at Remus as he reached the first step and he thought he saw a ghost of a smile flit across his friends face.

"Have fun," The weary man said, and then he turned and retreated to his room.

Sirius paused, his head tilted to the side in question. _Have fun?_ How was he supposed to do that while tending to the emotional needs of an unstable female werewolf who had just learned that she was less human than anyone had previously thought?

He shrugged and continued to the top of the stairs where the first hints of her heady perfume hit him. It was strange though; there was another underlying scent mixed with hers. If he didn't know better he would have sworn that it was the smell of sex. He frowned and shook it off, deciding that his imagination was getting the better of him, and then he gently called out her name. There was a faint reply and he opened the door and quickly stepped inside.

Hermione was sitting on the side of the bed when he entered. She was still quite naked and her legs were pulled up to her chest with her arms wrapped tightly around them while she rocked back and forth uneasily. She looked up at him beseechingly and in the next instant she was on her feet. She rushed toward him and he barely had time to take in what he was seeing before she grabbed him by the head and assaulted his mouth with hers.

Sirius started, his eyes going wide. His first instinct was to push her away and ask her if she knew what she was doing but he quickly decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth, especially when that magical mouth was currently latched onto his.

Her kiss was passionate and intense, but there was also a bit of uncertainty there. It felt like she was fighting her desire as well as encouraging it. Her intense scent, and the way her body was molding itself to his quickly drove his lust to a fever pitch, and though he sensed something was wrong, he couldn't bring himself to end the kiss.

Hermione's head was swimming. His skilled lips and tongue made her feel dizzy, as if the world was wobbling on its axis. She could feel his kiss all the way to her core and it reignited the relentless smoldering ache that lingered there. She moaned deeply and wrapped a leg around his waist to draw him closer, hoping to ease some of her suffering, but the feel of his hardness against her sensitive center drove away all of her rational thoughts.

She tugged furiously at Sirius' belt until she finally managed to get it undone. A quick flick of her hand had the material parted and she abruptly fell to her knees, taking the offending fabric with her, leaving him fully exposed.

"Hermione, what…?" he started to protest, but then her hot mouth seized him and he cried out and staggered backward, grabbing the wall for support before his knees could give out.

"Oh, god!" he panted, as the sensations she was creating with her tongue and teeth sent him spiraling toward a yawning abyss of ecstasy.

Gathering the last of his wits, Sirius yanked her to her feet and captured her mouth again. He forced her backward toward the bed and then lifting her legs to his hips, he pushed her down onto the mattress. With a single, brutal thrust he buried himself to the hilt inside of her tight, lithe little body. Her muscles gripped him instantly and he threw back his head as he began to move.

He tried to control his thrusts, wanting to draw out his pleasure, but her body bucked and writhed beneath him, pulling him in deeper if that were possible. He knew he was losing it and he tightened his grip on her hips painfully as he rapidly slammed their bodies together.

Hermione screamed and hooked her ankles behind his back as he rode her. He wasn't as long as Remus, but he was incredibly thick and she could feel him stretching her as he moved. It was exquisite. He hit pleasure points she didn't know existed and it made her frantic. Her body clenched again and again as he hit her hidden sweet spots sending her spiraling over the edge. She couldn't catch her breath from the pleasure he was inflicting on her body and dark spots clouded her vision as she tried desperately to hang onto consciousness.

Sirius couldn't hold back his impassioned moans as she gripped him. His head fell forward and he squeezed his eyes shut as fire raced from his groin to the top of his head. He groaned deeply as he came, his whole body trembling from the force of it. As the insane sensations faded, he fell forward onto her, and they lay in each other's arms as their heart rates gradually slowed.

"What…was…that…?" he panted, when he could breathe again, then much to his chagrin, she burst into tears.

"I'm so sorry!" she gasped through her sobs. "I can't seem to help myself. I just feel so wanton! Remus tried to help me, but he was so tired and it just wasn't enough. I can't believe what I've done!"

"Shhh, sweetheart," he murmured, wiping away her tears with his thumb. "I'm not accusing you of anything. I was just surprised. You kind of caught me off guard." He flashed a slow heart stopping grin. "Not that I mind. I could handle more of these kinds of surprises."

"This isn't a laughing matter!" she hissed. "I used both of you for sex. I've become a whore!"

Sirius sighed and gently eased out of her so that he could lie next to her on the bed. He pulled her into his arms and held her comfortingly.

"Listen to me. None of this is your fault. You are going through something that no one expected and that you can't control. Personally, I think that you have shown incredible restraint up to this point. Hell, if Remus or I were experiencing what you are we probably would have been shagging anything with a pulse since day one."

Hermione snorted, and scrubbed away her tears with the back of her hand. "Yeah, but this goes totally against who I am. I don't just hop into the sack with men."

"Me neither," he smiled cheekily and she rolled her eyes.

"Please be serious," she begged, and then she held up a warning finger before he could make a pun. "I cannot handle this. I mean, how often is this going to happen to me? What if you and Remus aren't there next time? What if I can't control myself at all and end up screwing some random guy…?"

Sirius looked at her for a moment and then he shook his head. "I wish I could give you the answers you need, but I can't because I honestly don't know. However, I promise you that if this ever happens again I will be there for you, and I'm pretty sure Remus will be there for you too. In fact, anytime you need my help with this particular problem I promise that I will drop _everything_ to be there for you."

She slapped his arm in exasperation and sighed. "I wish I knew how long this is supposed to last."

Sirius grinned sinfully, "Me too. A guy could get used to this sort of abuse." With that he leaned down and captured her nipple between his lips. Hermione gasped and arched her back against him.

"Sirius…!" she cried as she wrapped her arms around his back.

"It's alright, love," he murmured, lapping at her breast. "I'm just trying to be helpful."

Sirius took his time suckling each nipple until they were both painfully taut then he replaced his mouth with his hands so that he could kiss her thoroughly. Hermione cupped his face with her palm and then stroked her hand down to the shirt they had neglected to remove. One by one she pulled the buttons open until the skin of his chest was exposed to her wandering fingers.

With excruciating gentleness she traced the lines and planes of his chest, and then down lower over his firm stomach. He grunted against her mouth and tensed as her fingers skimmed briefly over his engorged shaft; coaxing out small droplets of fluid. Sirius bucked against her hand as she caught the clear drops and spread them over his thick mushroom head, lubricating it so that her fist could slide over it more easily.

"Shit, you're good at that!" he hissed as jagged bolts of pleasure raced up his spine.

He gave her a slightly pained smile and stroked his hand down her side to her hip. He massaged her thigh for a moment before inching over to stroke her damp curls. She was already quite swollen and her body opened to his touch instantly. He slid two fingers into her heat as his thumb grazed her tiny erect bud. Hermione moaned and jerked forward.

"I'm not so bad myself, eh?" Sirius chuckled against her neck.

She gave him an incomprehensible response and began moving in time with his hand; her own skilled digits matching the rhythm he set. When she came moments later he grinned and brought his hand to his mouth to lap up her sweet juices.

"Merlin, you taste good," he growled and then slid down her body to taste her more fully. Never in his life had he ever sampled anything so succulent. If her body was heaven then her nectar was ambrosia. He lapped at her until she came again and then he feasted on the fresh honey that issued from her writhing body.

She screamed over and over as his decadent tongue worked its magic on her. Her heart was pounding so hard she thought it might rip through her chest at any moment. Finally, he pulled himself away and got to his feet. He grabbed her legs and flipped her over onto her stomach; forcing her onto her knees. With agonizing slowness he slid inside her, filling her completely.

Hermione moaned deeply and bucked against him, urging him to move faster. Sirius felt her body squeeze his firmly and he shuddered in delight. His thrusts were gentle at first. He knew she must be getting sore and he didn't want to hurt her, but she growled deeply in her throat and matched his thrusts with more forceful ones of her own.

Sirius could feel himself reeling toward oblivion and he gripped her hips tightly as he allowed himself to lose control. He drove into her with a force that he knew must be hurting her, but she didn't protest. If anything she became even more abandoned in her thrashing. She came again, even harder than before and her muscles gripped him like a vice and then began to pulsate, milking him as he cried out with the force of his own earth-shattering release.

Sirius fell forward onto her back as he rode out the greatest wave of pleasure he had ever known. The perspiration that saturated them both made him slide down, and with a huff of annoyance he wrapped his arms around her waist and rolled them both onto the bed. He held her close to him as his body slowly began to relax.

"You are a goddess," he murmured, squeezing her tightly. When she didn't respond he peeked down at her face. Her eyes were closed and her breath was slow and even. He chuckled lightly, realizing how exhausted she must be after everything she had been through.

He watched her sleeping peacefully for a while and couldn't help but reach over to stroke her smooth cheek. He brushed an errant lock of hair out of her face, and then gently kissed her shoulder before snuggling in beside her. He fell asleep with a smile on his lips, and for the first time in a long time he felt completely content.


	9. Cause and effect

The sun was streaming in the windows when Hermione awoke. She stretched her body and found that though she was sore in places, she was feeling better than she had in a while. Much to her relief the insatiable lust she had endured for weeks had finally abated.

That thought sparked her memory and she gasped and sat up, her eyes darting toward the bed beside her. It was empty. Obviously Sirius had gotten up some time before and was nice enough to let her sleep. She was glad he had allowed her to wake up alone. She knew it would have been awkward otherwise.

Really, there was nothing that could stop this whole mess from being awkward. Remus and Sirius were her closest friends next to Harry and Ron, and being roommates made them even closer to her than the other two member of the golden trio.

She had always loved living here with them. Remus was sweet, gentle, and polite. He was someone she could share her interests with because his were so similar. She knew what if she needed help with a problem, whether it be tangible or personal, he would always be there for her. She truly cherished his friendship.

Sirius too was a treasure. He made sure that her life was never boring. Whenever things got dull, or she was feeling down or put upon Sirius could always be counted on to do something outrageous to make her smile. Just having him near often made her happy.

So how could she face them after what she'd done? She had humiliated herself and she was sure that whenever she looked into their eyes she would see pity or condemnation or both reflecting back at her. Then there was the guilt. She had used them to satisfy her basest sexual needs. How could she, or they, excuse that sort of degraded behavior? She wondered if it were possible to just avoid them from now on, but then she remembered that she'd have to see them at least once a month at the full moon.

She closed her eyes and shook her head sadly. Why did everything have to become so complicated? She knew that they were bound to be just as uncomfortable around her as she would be with them. Perhaps the best thing to do was simply apologize, beg their forgiveness, and offer to find her own place. But then what would she do if this ever happened again?

Hermione ran an agitated hand through her hair and groaned in dismay when she realized that it had become quite matted and tangled. She knew that after all of that sweaty debauchery she was in desperate need of a long hot shower. Plus she was positively starving.

Deciding that she couldn't just stay locked in her room forever she got up and grabbed her bathrobe, then with the greatest of care she inched open her door and peeked into the hallway. When she didn't see anyone she used her sensitive wolf hearing to listen for any tell-tale sounds that the men were nearby. When she heard the soft cadence of voices coming from below she took the opportunity to slip out of her room and tip toe to the bath.

The shower felt heavenly on her sore muscles and she stayed there longer than necessary just letting the hot jets of water soothe away the tight knots in her neck and back. After a long while she got out and dried herself (taking note of several partially healed bruises on her hips) and then she brushed her teeth and set to wrestling the stubborn tangles out of her long curly hair. That task proved to be very painful and time consuming. When it was done she wrapped the robe tightly about her body and snuck back toward her room. She had nearly made it when Sirius' voice rang out from below telling her to come down and eat before the lunch Remus had prepared got too cold.

She closed her eyes against a fresh wave of humiliation. They wanted her to come and eat with them as if nothing were wrong? How could she sit across from them and bear the accusing looks she was positive they would give her, or perhaps they wouldn't even be able to look at her at all. What if all they could manage was uncomfortable silence and averted gazes?

Hermione darted into her room and simply stood there, breathing slowly, trying to buck up her courage. She told herself over and over again that she could handle whatever repercussions her actions brought with quiet dignity. She tried to convince herself that she was strong enough to face this debacle head-on. She knew she was full of shit.

Eventually she forced herself to get dressed and drag her leaden feet onward from the safety of her room. When she finally pushed open the kitchen door, the scene before her looked positively, unbelievably normal. Sirius and Remus were sitting at the table seemingly at ease. They had already finished the meal and were calmly drinking coffee while perusing The Daily Prophet. After a second Remus looked up at her and smiled warmly.

"Well, good afternoon." He said casually. "We were wondering if you were ever going to wake up."

She was shocked by how calm he sounded, and it made her frown in confusion. "What time is it?" she asked, still trying to gage his true feelings by watching his expression when he spoke.

"It's just after one," he said, still smiling. "We decided to put off lunch until you got up, but your shower took so long that I'm afraid the food might have gotten cold. I can heat it back up if you like."

Sirius looked up at her then and he too seemed his normal, casual self. "Actually, we were getting worried. If you had slept much longer we were going to come up and check on you."

Hermione didn't know what to think about this unexpectedly relaxed greeting. She shook her head, trying to figure it out. "Um, but you just said it's only just after one. I've only been asleep for about six hours."

"Sweetheart," Sirius said, raising one eyebrow. "You've been asleep for almost thirty hours. The full moon was on Friday night and today is Sunday. You've slept a whole day away."

"What!?" she gasped. "Why didn't anyone wake me?"

"We each tried, but all you would do was grumble and wave us off, so we thought it best to just leave you be." Remus told her. "Your body must have needed the rest, but Sirius is right, we were getting concerned."

Hermione forgot for a moment to be uncomfortable as her mind reeled. She had slept for thirty hours? She had practically missed a whole day? This wasn't something she expected or understood. Granted, she had been completely drained after all she had been through. The change itself was exhausting, and when combined with all that had transpired with Sirius and Remus it was understandable that she had been fatigued, but _thirty hours_!

She walked into the room and collapsed into the nearest chair. She had always been an early to bed, early to rise kind of person. The only exceptions to that had been when she was in school and needed to study for an exam and now when she stayed up all night once a month, but even the last full moon hadn't drained her like this. Even when she used the time turner her third year she hadn't slept more than six or seven hours at a stretch, even when she wanted to.

"Are you feeling all right?" Remus asked, watching her closely.

"No, I don't understand any of this," she groused. "How could I have slept a whole day away?"

"Well, let's consider it," he said thoughtfully, folding his paper and laying it on the table. "You have been high strung for weeks, you turned into a werewolf, and you experienced a great deal of stress both physically and emotionally in that form, then you changed back." He ticked each point off on his fingers as he listed them, and he flushed red as he continued. "Plus, there was the fact that you were in heat, and we've only just learned about the…ah…sexual demands that puts on the body. Then there was all of the _activity_ associated with that. By the way, you smell like yourself again, and perhaps that is a factor as well. Maybe your body needed the extra rest to complete the cycle."

The things he said made sense and it helped to ease her mind. She was also glad to hear that she was back to normal. She had guessed as much when she no longer experienced the heavy sensation in her womb or the intense sexual need. She was also glad that she hadn't been the one to broach the subject. She really wanted to talk to them about what had happened, but she was terrified of bringing up a subject that they might want to avoid at all costs.

"About that…I really want to tell you both how sorry I am," she began and both men looked at her questioningly.

"I feel just terrible about what I did and I want you to know that I understand if you don't want me to stay here with you any longer."

"What are you talking about?" Sirius demanded, staring at her in bewilderment. "Why wouldn't we want you to live here?"

"Well, after everything that…happened…I just don't want you to feel uncomfortable in your own home," She explained pitifully.

The men stopped and stared at her with their mouths agape, both at a loss for words until Sirius' features stiffened harshly. "Listen to me," he snapped, making her jump. "You have nothing to apologize for, I already told you that. Also, this is your home too, and nothing is going to change that. I don't know why you insist on blaming yourself for what happened. You might think you somehow coerced us or used us, but if we hadn't been willing to be with you, then we wouldn't have been."

He ran an agitated hand through his hair and huffed indignantly. "You sound just like Moony." He accused, waving a hand in the other man's direction. "All day yesterday he kept going on and on about how he had practically forced himself on you and how you were likely going to hate him and would never forgive him and I had to spend all fucking day reassuring him that you didn't blame him; and here you are doing the exact same thing. I understand that everyone here might feel a little bit guilty about everything; after all, it wasn't like we planned it, but enough is enough! It just so happens that that was one of, if not _THE,_ greatest experiences of my life, and I am sick of you two tainting my happy memories!" He slammed down into his seat and crossed his arms over his chest petulantly.

Hermione looked back and forth between the two men. Sirius' expression was indignant and Remus looked abashed. She didn't know how to react. Remus thought _he_ had forced _her_? How was that possible? She had been the one to instigate everything. He shouldn't feel responsible for it – neither of them should. It also made her feel extra guilty that she had hurt Sirius' feelings.

"Remus," she said gently, taking his hand. "I could never hate you. You did absolutely nothing wrong. And Sirius," she said, turning her attention to the other man. "I'm sorry if I've made you feel bad. I wasn't saying that what happened wasn't absolutely amazing or that I didn't enjoy it, I'm just saying that I never imagined it happening like that; not with me so out of control, and with you two unable to help yourselves."

Sirius' stern face gradually melted to be replaced with a slow quirky half smile. "You mean you'd imagined it happening some other way?"

Hermione's whole body turned red. She hadn't meant to say that, true as it might be. How could any hot blooded female not think about these two gorgeous, charming men like that? Especially if they were lucky enough to see them dripping wet wearing only a towel straight from the shower as she had on several occasions. Those memories made her shudder deliciously.

"I'm right aren't I?" Sirius smirked. "You naughty girl! You'd fantasized about shagging us!"

"Sirius…" Remus said warningly, hoping to stop the embarrassing tirade he could see coming.

Sirius flashed him a wide grin and waggled his eyebrows, "So, was it as good as you'd imagined?" he asked, leaning across the table toward her.

To her embarrassment, Remus seemed to be waiting for her to answer as well.

Hermione flushed redder, if that were possible and swallowed hard. "Better," she admitted reluctantly. "I don't think I could have dreamt up anything so… mind-blowing. I'm not that creative."

Sirius seemed to inflate with pride at her words, and even Remus couldn't hide his smile.

"So which of us did you enjoy the most?" Sirius asked, but then he waved the question away. "Never mind, I don't want to know. I'd rather no one get their feelings hurt." He looked at Remus when he said that and his friend bristled and shot him a glare which made Sirius chuckle unrepentantly.

"Anyway, Hermione," Remus said, turning back to her. "I think we can agree that although the other night was unexpected, we could never fault you for what happened. After all, if I hadn't bit you, you would never have experienced any of this. You hold no blame here, so please put any thoughts of moving away out of your head."

"But what if it happens again?" she asked miserably. "I can't keep using you."

"Why don't you ask us, then?" Sirius suggested frankly. "If we give our permission you won't be using us, will you?"

Hermione opened her mouth then closed it again. Was it really as simple as that? Could she just ask them to fuck her when her hormones got to be too much to handle? She thought of the possibilities of such an agreement. Two of the world's most eligible playboys at her beck and call…the idea had merit.

"All right," she nodded slowly, and looking back and forth between her two companions she said, "Would you agree to help ease my suffering if and when I go back into heat?"

"Yes," Remus blushed, he seemed to have a bit of trouble meeting her gaze straight on, but his answer was firm and sure.

"Anytime," Sirius agreed adamantly, his eyes twinkling with expectation and delight. "And I really mean that. Anytime at all; just say the word and I'll be there."

Hermione giggled and shook her head. "I can't believe I'm agreeing to this."

"I can't believe you didn't ask sooner," Sirius pouted, and she lightly smacked his arm making him bark out a laugh.

His carefree smile became a sly grin and he suddenly took her hand. "Hermione, just out of curiosity, would you help ease _my_ suffering every now and again?"

She rolled her eyes and pulled her hand back. "Wow, I am famished," she said abruptly, trying to change the subject. "Remus, would you please reheat some of that delicious smelling food?"

"I'm not hearing a 'No'," Sirius pressed, giving her a wink.

Hermione scowled at him and then focused her attention on the heaping plate Remus sat down in front of her. Sirius' infuriating laughter echoed in her ears as she took a sizable bite and chewed noisily trying to drown him out. She should have known he wouldn't be able to resist goading her. Still, part of her wondered if he were indeed kidding. What if he really wanted to be more than just a reliable helper? Could such an arrangement even be possible? What about the repercussions should anyone find out? Her friends would lose their minds. And what about Remus? Would he be jealous, or would he expect to make a similar arrangement?

She laughed at herself and her fly away thoughts, then she peeked over at Sirius who had finally given up and gone back to his coffee and paper. Surely he had only been joking…right? She returned her focus back to her meal and in doing so she missed his last brief longing glance.


	10. Laws of attraction Warning:Mature

Adult content warning.

Author's note: This story has grown significantly from what I'd initially planned. When I began I had only intended it to be maybe ten chapters but from where it stands there will probably be at least four more (that may be a low estimate. There may be more than that.) Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed so far. I'm loving the feedback! Also, thanks to all who have added this story to their favorites. I'm really glad that so many of you are enjoying it!

On to the story...

Over the next month things returned to normal; or at least as close to normal as possible. Hermione didn't feel any different as the next full moon approached and when the change happened it was like the first carefree time. The dog and two wolves played and romped for most of the night, and when they became tired shortly before the moon set and the sun's shadow appeared on the horizon they snuggled down together in a mass of fur and warm bodies and napped until the wolves were forced to endure the change back to humanity.

It seemed to Hermione that her fears had been groundless. The men acted, for the most part, like nothing had changed between the three of them. Except every once in a while Hermione would catch one or both of them looking at her in a way that made her temperature rise. When she caught them they would blush and apologize before hurrying away; well, that's what Remus did anyway. When discovered, Sirius would smile in a way that signified that although he knew he was caught, he didn't much care, and then he would go right back to staring.

This drove Hermione to distraction because she wasn't immune to the way either of them looked at her. To her surprise and embarrassment, they weren't the only ones who were having a hard time returning to complete normalcy. At odd times she would see one of them and an erotic memory would spark in her brain. At those times she would undress them in her mind and remember in vivid detail the smooth muscles that made up their chests and backs, and the feel of their hands and the way they filled her body so perfectly. When they caught her staring there was never condemnation in their eyes, but a deeper sense of understanding would pass between them.

Hermione found herself waiting and wondering if either one of them would proposition her, but they never did. Even when lust was the only readable emotion in their eyes, they kept it to themselves. This was almost worse than being propositioned, because with her new found wolf senses she could smell their arousal, and she could also smell when that arousal became too much for them and they manually eased it. That more than anything drove her to distraction. Whenever either of them had that smell around them she would make up an excuse to leave the house for a few hours. It was the only thing that stopped her from excusing herself to her room to follow their lead, which she refused to do. Ever since she had discovered that they could smell her when she touched herself, she had religiously avoided doing so. The only time since she had been bitten that she had given in to her lust was when she had been in heat and unable to help herself.

She was both proud of herself that she hadn't given in to her desire and simply jumped one of them, and also so horny that at times it was almost like being in heat again. She knew that part of her lust was due to the fact that she had firsthand knowledge of how talented her housemates were in that particular area of expertise. Still, she couldn't bring herself to give in to her baser nature just because she was fleetingly needy. She still hadn't forgiven herself for her heat induced insanity, and giving into such behavior without the wild hormones excuse made her feel disgusted with herself and her lack of self control, so she used every ounce of focus she possessed to keep her body in check. It was harder than she cared to admit.

The second and third months after her heat were nearly the same as the before except that the longing glances that were exchanged between Hermione and the men seemed to have increased three-fold. Still no one made an overt move. As February approached Hermione found herself hoping wistfully that her heat would return so that she could indulge without the guilt that would inevitably follow should she give in without having it as an excuse.

One quiet evening when the full moon was still three weeks away Hermione was in the kitchen doing the dinner dishes while the men sat at the table with their coffee and paper which had become a common ritual for them. Eventually Sirius excused himself saying that he was going to the sitting room to relax and have a night cap in front of the fire. He invited them to join him as he usually did, and they each said they'd meet him there after they were finished with what they were doing. Hermione then turned back to the dishes and Remus went back to his coffee and the article he was reading.

"They're lifting some of the restrictive werewolf laws," he told her as he read. "I guess Kingsley has finally settled into the role of Minister and is testing his limits. Personally, I think that if anyone was going to contest his assumed role, they would have done it by now."

"I think he has really impressed people," Hermione said over her shoulder. "There was so much confusion after the final battle and if he hadn't stepped up and organized everyone there would have been nothing but chaos. Thanks to him the school and grounds were cleaned up, the dead and missing were accounted for and the prisoners were dealt with appropriately. I know many wanted to just execute all of the captured Death Eaters and their minions. If he hadn't stepped in the death toll would have been considerably higher."

Remus nodded and went back to reading but after a moment he furrowed his brow and sighed deeply.

"Oh, dear," he murmured thoughtfully. "They are planning a census for the summer and there is a special section for werewolves. They are trying to get an exact accounting of how many werewolves exist, where they are located, and how they survive. It seems that the Ministry is trying to make up for years of oppressive restrictions that have previously hindered our employment by helping to find to us suitable jobs."

"Why do you sound so worried?" she asked as she reached for another dirty plate. "That seems like a good thing to me."

"They are making participation mandatory," he said, still frowning severely. "There are a lot of werewolves who don't want their condition to be made public. There are also a lot of people who won't want to give up their biased opinions just because the Ministry says they should. Already business owners are contesting the lifting of the laws."

"Well, they'll just have to get over themselves, won't they?" Hermione quipped, shrugging.

"I think you put too much faith in the true nature of humanity," he said gravely. "Our kind make regular people nervous because they only hear about the bad things some of us have done. Generally, people only pay attention to bad news and sensationalism because it gives them something to gossip about. The trouble is that as gossip is passed along facts often get buried in exaggeration and soon you have large groups of people readily believing complete fabrications. These stories make us all seem like blood thirsty beasts who steal children in the night and that leads to fear and fear inevitably leads to violence."

He was right. Hermione had seen firsthand what he was talking about, and depressing as it might be, fear and violence often walked hand in hand. "I see what you mean." She sighed. "But if new laws are put in place then the violent offenders will have to pay for their actions. No one will be able to simply look the other way anymore."

"Perhaps eventually, but I can foresee many years of trouble ahead for the vast majority of us especially since the census is mandatory and censuses are available for public viewing." He had hardly finished his sentence when the sound of glass breaking rang in his ears. He looked up at Hermione who still had soap suds on her hands from the plate she had dropped. She looked pale and she was trembling slightly.

"What is it?" he said anxiously as he jumped to his feet and darted to her side.

"Everyone will know about me?" she whispered, dazed and obviously very upset. Hermione had already registered herself as a werewolf because the law demanded it, but those records were sealed from the general public. If this new act went through then anyone would have access to that information – including her friends who were as of yet unaware. If anyone was to find out she wanted to be the one to break the news to them on her own terms. This was going to make that plan impossible.

"Oh, sweetheart!" Remus moaned, realizing her predicament. "I am so sorry!" He took her into his arms as angry, frustrated tears began forming in her eyes. He held her and stroked her hair as the tears slid unchecked down her cheeks and small gasping sobs escaped her. "Please don't cry, love," he begged as she buried her face in his chest. "We can talk to Kingsley and explain things to him, and if that doesn't work then I'll be right beside you no matter what you decide."

He let her cry herself out, and when she looked up at him with her heartbreakingly sad expression he couldn't help himself when he lowered his lips to hers. Hermione gasped at first contact, but then she sighed and opened her mouth to him, needing his special brand of comfort.

Remus groaned and instantly deepened the kiss; pulling her body closer and lacing his fingers into her thick brown hair as she clasped her hands behind his neck locking them together. All of the tension that had been building up within them over the past months poured out in that moment and it made them both frantic.

Remus suddenly released her hair and lifted her up onto the kitchen table. He nudged her knees apart and wedged his hips between them as pulled her body beneath him. The tank top she wore made it easier for him to trail his long nipping kisses down her throat to her collarbone, making her tilt her head back and arch invitingly against him.

He growled deep in his throat and rubbed his hard, aching length against her as his wandering hands darted under the thin fabric of her top to her bra encased breasts. He stroked and plucked at her nipples until they were painfully erect then he ducked his head down and tearing the fabric away, captured one in his eager mouth. Hermione moaned and jerked beneath him as he suckled her like a babe. The nerves in her breast seemed to be directly connected to her female core and each pull on her tight nipple forced another hot, moist throb from deep within her womb.

Unable to help herself, Hermione traced her hand down his shirt to the waistband of his jeans. She dipped her fingertips just under the band and felt the evidence of his arousal pulsate as she lightly brushed over his tip. He moaned and bucked at the contact and in one swift movement he pulled her body to his and whipped her around so that her back was pressed against his chest. He slid his hand downward from her breast to her stomach and then deftly popped the button at the top of her jeans. He yanked at the restrictive material and then plunged his hands down beneath the fabric to her wet mound.

Hermione gasped and moaned as his skilled fingers found her. She opened her stance to give him better access to her body and then she reached behind her to undo his jeans. He throbbed in her hand as she grasped him through the material of his boxers, and he hissed through his teeth at the sensations she was eliciting from him as she stroked his considerable length.

"Oh, God!" he gasped as she squeezed and caressed him, eventually dipping behind the cloth to his bare flesh. He jerked against her as his fingers mimicked the movements hers made so that they moaned and writhed in tandem.

Hermione came first; the force of her release making her legs so weak Remus had to hold her up as she rode the waves of pleasure. His own end came less than a minute later and he cried out from the force of it, nearly dropping her in the throes of his intense orgasm.

When they had each caught their breath again they separated shyly and washed up before righting their clothes. It wasn't a moment too soon because the instant they were presentable again Sirius came charging through the door.

"Didn't you hear me calling?" he demanded. "Harry is here. He's waiting in the library and he wants to talk to all of us." He paused and sucked in a deep breath, and then he eyed them both suspiciously.

"So, what have you two been up to?" he asked with a slow, utterly evil grin.

"Nothing!" Hermione insisted a little too defensively to be believable.

"No idea what you're on about, mate," Remus said much more calmly. "Did you say Harry's here? Well, we'd better go and see what he wants, then. After you, my dear." He motioned Hermione in front of him toward the door. As she hurried from the room, grateful for the escape, Remus rounded on Sirius. "She was distraught and needed comfort which I provided. I expect that to be the end of this discussion."

Sirius raised his hands innocently, but his sly smirk was not lost on the other man who hissed out a warning snarl and stomped from the room. After he had gone, Sirius rubbed his hands together eagerly. He had been waiting for one of them to make the first move, not wanting to be the one to force the issue. He knew it was just a matter of time before one of them snapped from the sexual tension and made their arrangement much more casual. Now that the door had been opened, he intended to take full advantage of it. With a mischievous and anticipatory grin he left the room to meet up with his friends and to begin making plans that would lead somewhere he knew to be simultaneously debauched, sweaty and ultimately glorious.


	11. Big news and small requests

Sorry this chapter is so short, but I needed an appropriate set-up for the next part of the story.

Again, thanks to everyone for their reviews! It's great for my ego, and it helps the chapters go up that much faster!

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Sirius entered the library just in time to see Hermione stepping lightly out of Harry's friendly embrace. He was happy to see his godson looking so well considering how worried everyone had been about the young man after the final battle. He had handled the events leading to that fateful day with stoic determination, but when it was over and he stood victorious, a deep sense of loss seemed to have sunken in and it had taken months for the deep hollow shadows to fade from his eyes.

His quick recovery had been primarily due to the tireless efforts of young Ginny Weasley. Even when Harry had shied away from everyone who cared about him, Ginny had refused to leave his side. The young witch had proven to everyone just how prevailing the power of love could be. It was no surprise to everyone that less than a year later the young couple had announced their engagement. Their wedding had been a small but intimate affair and ever since then, Harry seemed to walk around in a pervasive cloud of unrestrained bliss. It was heartening to see how quickly his life had changed from one of undue sorrow and responsibility to such carefree joy.

"To what do we owe the pleasure," Remus asked, clasping Harry's hand in his and shaking it heartily.

"I have come bearing good news," Harry grinned, "And I have a small favor to ask of you."

"Why don't you tell us the good news first, and then we can discuss the favor," Sirius suggested, giving his godson a wry look.

"Right," Harry chuckled lightly. "The good news is that Ron will be home for his birthday this year. The first of March is on a Saturday and he has that whole weekend off."

"Oh, Harry! That's wonderful news," Hermione gushed. The trio hadn't been able to properly celebrate Ron's birthday two years ago because they had been too preoccupied questing for horcruxes and hiding from Death Eaters and the corrupted ministry for such frivolity, and last year Ron had been tied down with Quidditch training and was unable to visit anyone until early summer. She knew that he missed being with his family and friends for holidays and special occasions, but playing professional Quidditch was what he had always wanted and he accepted that the amount of free time he would get would be greatly diminished. The nice thing was that he had turned out to be an exemplary keeper and his efforts had greatly improved the Cannon's reputation and their game winning average, so no one could really fault him for spending so much time away.

"Is that all?" Sirius said evenly, giving his godson a searching look. "I know you and Hermione have missed him, but you seem far too cheerful for that to be it."

"There is more," Harry confessed, his grin widening with pride. "Ginny is pregnant."

Hermione screamed,making the men jump in alarm, and she leapt jubilantly back into Harry's arms. "Oh, my God!" she shrieked, hugging him so tightly that he squeaked piteously and struggled to breathe, "That is fantastic! How far along is she? When is her due date? Is she feeling okay? Oh, you should have brought her! I can't wait to congratulate her!"

"Slow down, Hermione," he gasped as he attempted to free himself from her hysterical iron-like grip. "She can't know I've told anyone. No one else knows."

"Why on Earth not?" she demanded, finally releasing him, and fixing him with a wary, disappointed look.

"She wants to tell everyone at the same time," Harry explained quickly, not wanting to incur any sort of wrath from his disheartened friend. "Which brings me to the favor bit. We were wondering if we could have Ron's party here. That way we can invite all of our friends and Ginny and I could make our announcement to everyone at once."

"Here?" Sirius repeated dubiously. "I mean, obviously your place is too small, but why not have it at the Burrow? Surely Molly and Arthur wouldn't mind. He is their son after all."

Harry sighed and shook his head. "We thought about that, but you know Molly; she would figure it out long before hand and she'd never be able to keep it a secret. Plus, she'd take over the whole thing and we wouldn't be allowed to have the kind of fun we could here."

"How are you keeping her from finding out?" Hermione asked. "She's likely to take one look at Ginny and know something is up. I'm surprised she hasn't already."

Harry rolled his eyes. "We've been avoiding her since we found out a month ago, and believe me it hasn't been easy. We've about run out of excuses for visiting and we have to be very careful not to say that Ginny is too tired or doesn't feel well, or she might become suspicious and spoil everything."

"You've known for a month and we're just now learning about it?" Hermione frowned, obviously hurt. "You know you we wouldn't tell anyone if you didn't want us to."

"We both know that," Harry assured her gently. "But, Ginny felt it would be best to wait until her second trimester, just in case anything went wrong with the pregnancy, and then Ron told us he was coming home and we figured that would be the best time to break the news."

Hermione gasped at that bit of information. "She's already in her second trimester? But you said you just found out last month?"

Harry grinned sheepishly. "We didn't notice anything unusual for a while. She was just really tired and since we're still newlyweds we assumed that it was simply due to…lack of sleep."

Sirius grinned widely and strode over to slap Harry on the back. "James would be proud to hear that!" he laughed raucously, which made Harry blush and duck his head in embarrassment.

"Anyway," Harry continued when Sirius laughter finally died down. "When she started getting sick we went to Saint Mungos and they told us she was about eight weeks along. We figure she got pregnant back in early December. Actually, I think I might know the exact night it happened." He admitted, blushing again.

"Really?" Sirius coaxed, his eyebrow raised, and his devilish half-smirk in place. "Do tell."

"The night we came here for dinner. When we got home she just…" He trailed off, smiling secretly at the memory. "Ah, well. Let's just say that it took extra time for us to recover from _that_ night."

Sirius burst out laughing again and even Remus chuckled at the expression on the young man's face as he finished speaking, but Hermione's brow was furrowed in thought.

"You mean the dinner with Bill and Fluer?" she clarified. When Harry nodded she frowned. Surely it couldn't have had anything to do with… _No_, she thought, shaking her head at her own ridiculous conclusion. It must just be a coincidence.

"So, what do you say," Harry said, interrupting her thoughts. "Can we have the party here?"

Sirius sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "How many people are we talking?"

Harry shrugged lightly, but his expression was both awkward and entreating. "Not too many. Just some friends from school and maybe some of the Order."

"How many, Harry?" Sirius demanded, seeing through his godson's pathetic obscurity.

"Maybe sixty or so…"

"Sixty!" Sirius shouted. "Merlin, Harry! How will we fit everyone? Do you expect us to supply all of the food and drink for sixty people!"

"No, no!" Harry assured. "I'll take care of the refreshments and such, and I figured that Hermione could find a way to magically enlarge the sitting room or something. She great at that kind of stuff. After all , what use is it being the brightest witch of our age if she lets herself get all rusty."

"Gee, thanks for the complement, Harry," she said dryly and he shot her a teasing grin.

Sirius ran a hand through his hair and looked between his two housemates. "Well, what do you think? Should we go along with this madness?"

Remus shrugged. "It might be fun."

"Hermione?" Sirius asked, seeing the undecided look on her face. It was obvious that she, like he, wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea of having to deal with a house full of people.

She glanced up at Harry's beseeching face and her disapproval wavered. "Oh, fine," she caved, and Harry brightened instantly. "But understand that you are responsible for everything and everyone. I don't want to find this place trashed the next day with a bunch of drunk people passed out everywhere."

"Don't worry," Harry assured her, smiling. "I'll take care of everything."

"Sure," Hermione grumbled darkly. If there was anything Harry Potter was known for, it was his well-thought out, foolproof plans and decision making skills. Yeah, right. Hermione could feel the beginning of a pounding headache coming on, and somehow she knew it wouldn't let up until after this whole happy event was over.


	12. Consequences Warning: Mature!

Again, thanks to everyone who has read reviewed so far. I hope you enjoy this update.

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The party was only a week away and two large problems had already become evident. The first, which should only have been slightly problematic, was that the full moon was due the night after the party. Ordinarily it wouldn't have been a big deal since no one would suspect anything odd about her or Remus behaving particularly energetic or nervous considering that they had so much to do to prepare for the party.

However, that was not the biggest issue. It had become evident to everyone just that morning that Hermione's tangy, seductive scent was returning which meant that her heat would likely be at full potency by the night of the party. The men immediately suggested cancelling the party, but Hermione refused to hear of it. She was certain that with the help of her two trusted friends she could handle the heat and the impending change, difficult as they might be. Plus, it wasn't lost on her that her housemates had that gleam in their eyes at learning that their special services would soon be required.

To add to her stress, Harry had been too busy with work to do as much as he'd assured them he'd do. This surprised no one, but it only made things more hectic. So for the past week Hermione, Sirius, and Remus had thoroughly cleaned the whole main floor of the house, prepared the guest list, sent out owls, planned the menu, and decided on decorations and music. Sirius had even called Kreacher back from the Hogwarts kitchen to help, which the elf hadn't minded, but which greatly annoyed Hermione. She certainly appreciated the help, but not at the expense of slave labor. Still, try as she might, she couldn't stay peeved at Harry for dumping all of this on them. He was still paying for everything, and he did try and help when he could get free time.

Of course with how busy she'd been she had completely forgotten to buy a gift for Ron, so when she had finally found some free time she decided to go to Diagon Alley. Remus and Sirius both seemed terribly disappointed that she wasn't using the time to make better use of their offer, but she didn't know if she would get another opportunity to go before the following Saturday, so she grabbed her jacket and purse and apparated away.

Diagon alley was crowded as usual, and Hermione groaned in frustration as she squeezed her way through the throng. She had absolutely no idea what she was going to get for Ron, as she highly doubted that he would want anything academic like books or quills. She glanced in the window of each shop she passed, hoping to see something would catch her eye but nothing did and eventually she found herself standing in front of a familiar shop.

There was a significant throng of activity at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes as Hermione stopped to peek into the window. The twins and their staff were busy bustling around making sales and stocking shelves, but as George paused to stretch his back he saw her and waved for her to come inside. Hermione smiled and shook her head motioning to the thick mob of shoppers. There was no way she was venturing inside that mad house if she didn't have to. George nodded his understanding and held up a hand asking her to wait while he finished up.

Hermione sighed; she hadn't really wanted to be out that long. Her hormones were starting to get the better of her after being pressed against so many warm bodies and she wanted to get home and corner whichever of her roommates she could find first. Glancing over she spotted the sign for Quality Quidditch Supplies. "Give me ten minutes," she mouthed to George. When he nodded, she darted away down the street.

The shop was huge and their inventory was vast. Having never cared much for the sport outside of school, Hermione felt positively lost as she looked around. She had absolutely no idea what Ron needed, so she absently settled on a set of all weather, water proof goggles, and a pair of self-warming dragon hide gloves. Once her purchase was made she hurried back out into the busy street. However, just as she arrived at the twin's storefront she tripped and slammed into the back of another harried shopper.

"Goddamnit! Why don't you watch where you're going!" The man demanded, twisting around to glower down at her. He was tall and solidly built, and his mottled, enraged face was mere inches from hers as she looked up after regaining her balance.

"Oh," Hermione squeaked, taking a step away from the hulking, overly intimidating man. "Please, I am very sorry. It was an accident. I tripped, you see, and..."

But the man didn't seem to hear her. Instead, he froze, and then taking a long sniff of the air his eyes widened before narrowing menacingly, then his mouth split into an ominous, knowing grin.

"No harm done," he said finally, his eyes roaming over her from head to foot. "As you said, it was only an…accident," he licked hips lips, making her feel like a meat display in a butchers window. "…but, then again, maybe you couldn't help yourself, eh?"

Hermione frowned and took another step back as he slowly edged nearer to her. "Um, I'm not sure what you mean, but it truly was not on purpose and I apologize. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm supposed to be meeting someone."

She turned to walk away, but his large beefy hand shot out and gripped her wrist tightly. "What's the hurry?" He said, tugging her back to him. "We haven't even had a chance to get to know each other. Come on, I know a place where we can get better _acquainted_."

Hermione's body went rigid and she felt her teeth go on edge. "I'm not going anywhere with you," she snapped, futilely trying to yank her arm out of his iron grip. "Release me this instant!"

"Come on now, baby," he murmured coyly, "Don't be like that. You _want_. I can _smell_ you."

Hermione's heart raced and she felt herself go pale. He was obviously a werewolf too and just like the two men she adored, he could smell the heat on her. But, unlike with her two wonderful friends, she didn't feel an ounce of attraction for this disgusting man. She could smell his desire; the air was thick with it, but the scent of his fetid breath, unwashed skin and filthy clothes was also prevalent and it repelled her, as did the way he seemingly devoured her with his hard, hungry eyes.

"I am _not_ your_ baby_," she growled, standing her ground as he tried to drag her along. "And, I won't go anywhere with you. Let me go, NOW!" She reached into her jacket with her free hand and pulled her wand out. He laughed and yanked it away before tossing it on the ground like it was nothing. Without thinking Hermione drew back and slapped him hard across the face.

The force of impact made his head snap to the side and when he turned back to her his eyes were icy cold and then he snarled deeply, showing sharp, stained teeth. "Don't mistake me for a patient man, baby," he said with such barely restrained animosity that Hermione couldn't stop herself from flinching. "Don't fight me because you won't win. Now, I'm sure that I smell another on you, and I can tell that he isn't half the man I am. He hasn't even taken you yet, has he? I know he hasn't marked you, which means you're still free game, and I haven't had an eager bitch in my den for such a long time. If it's the others you're worried about, don't. I can keep my pack in line."

"A…pack," Hermione gasped, and then she struggled even harder. She remembered vividly what she had learned about females in packs and how they rarely lived more than a year because of how violently the men fought over them. There was absolutely no way she was going to allow herself to be exposed to a whole pack of sexually crazed werewolves. It would be a death sentence. She went wild in her attempts to get away from this man, but it seemed the harder she fought, the tighter his grip became. She felt herself losing her footing and she became frantic. She had just drawn in a huge breath to scream for help when a familiar voice rose up from the din.

"Let go of the lady now, or you WILL regret it!" George Weasley shouted from behind her. She glanced at him and saw that he had his wand raised and ready.

The man laughed harshly, squeezing her wrist so tightly she felt the bones grind together. "Is this your pup?" he rasped into her ear, as he jerked her closer still. "No wonder you're out looking for a real man."

"Go away, boy," he chuckled toward George, "before you get hurt."

"I believe my brother told you to let our friend go," said another voice, this one coming from behind the putrid werewolf. Fred Weasley stood there, and he like his twin, had his wand out and fixed on her aggressor.

The werewolf snarled, realizing he was outnumbered, but he didn't let go until he noticed that a small group of onlookers had formed a loose semi-circle around them. The longer he stood there, the more people gathered to find out the cause of the disturbance. With a last growl of fury he hissed something into Hermione's ear and then shoved her away from him toward a very surprised George, then he turned and apparated away.

"Are you okay?" George said, pulling her into his arms.

"Who was that man?" Fred demanded, striding over to them. He grabbed her wand and placed it back in her shaky hand.

Hermione was trembling so badly that it took her a moment to find her voice. She desperately wanted to get out of everyone's prying eyes and when she had finally regained some control, all she could manage to say was, "Please, take me home." The brothers heard barely heard her, but they seemed to understand and without pausing they apparated her back to Grimmauld place.

As they stumbled through the door, Sirius was just coming out of the library. "Hermione, my love!" he called happily, "You're home!" And then spotting the twins he grinned. "Well, if it isn't double trouble! Hello, boys! What brings you here at this time of day? Don't you have to be at the shop?" Then he really looked at them and he saw the confusion and anxiety on the men's faces, and the impotent fear rolling off of Hermione.

"What's wrong?" he demanded, sprinting forward to pull her trembling body into his arms. "What has happened?"

Hermione only shook her head, holding him tightly to her. She needed the comfort of his strong, familiar arms as she struggled to calm down. Somewhere in her fear clouded brain she registered the fact that he smelled amazing, and she buried her face in his chest to envelop herself in his warm, soothing scent.

"Will someone please tell me what's going on?" Sirius said again as he ran a gentle hand over Hermione's soft curly hair.

"I was supposed to meet Hermione outside the shop after I was finished doing inventory," George told him, "but when I eventually got outside I saw a strange man trying to drag her off so I called for Fred and we scared him away."

"Who was the man, Hermione?" Sirius asked her.

"H-he was another werewolf," she whispered so that only he could hear her and she felt his arms tighten reflexively.

"I can handle things from here, boys," he said, wanting to get her away so he could question her more thoroughly. "Thank you for your help, but you should get back to work."

"Something is going on here," George said sharply.

"And we deserve to know what it is," Fred added.

"And we're not leaving until we get some answers." George crossed his arms stubbornly.

"So, you'd better start talking," they finished together.

"Look boys, this isn't any of your concern…" Sirius began, but Hermione cut him off.

"No, it's alright," she said, stepping away from his chest, but not leaving the circle his arms. "They were going to find out eventually anyway."

She turned to her two redheaded friends and sighed deeply. "The man who assaulted me was a werewolf, and the reason he wanted to take me away is because…" she hesitated, steeling her resolve before simply blurting out, "I'm a werewolf too."

The instant silence in the room was unnerving, and then after several seconds had passed the twins erupted into simultaneous outbursts. They wanted to know everything, and Hermione explained to them how it had happened and how well she had been handling everything. They didn't seem particularly upset after a moment, but they still couldn't seem to wipe the identical looks of shock from their faces.

"So the man in Diagon Alley was another werewolf?" Fred clarified.

"And he knew that you were one too?" George guessed.

"But, that doesn't explain why he was being so rough with you," Fred frowned.

"Or where he was planning to take you," George added. "I mean, werewolves don't habitually try to kidnap each other, do they?"

"It's because I'm a female," Hermione explained. "There aren't very many female werewolves, so when a male discovers one, they sometimes try to keep them by whatever means necessary."

"That seems like a lot of effort just for a date," Fred grumbled.

"He wasn't looking for a date," Sirius corrected darkly. "He was looking for a sex slave."

The twins stared at him, trying to understand what he was saying, but they just couldn't grasp it. They had guessed that the man was trying to hurt Hermione, and that he might quite possibly rape her if he had the chance, but from what Sirius had said, it seemed like he was going to try and force Hermione into a life of sexual servitude. Things like that didn't happen in this day and age, and certainly not in civilized societies.

"But why Hermione?" Fred asked, clearly confused. "I mean, obviously werewolves don't just have sex with other werewolves, so why not get someone willing. There are plenty of witches who have werewolf fetishes, so why not take one of them?"

"Female werewolves are especially rare finds," Hermione reluctantly explained, "The males are drawn to our pheromones like alcoholics to fire whiskey. At certain times our scent is particularly pervasive and males can't help themselves from reacting strongly. I'm not saying that excuses that man's behavior because he could still have used self-control, but it explains why he was so persistent."

"What do you mean, 'at certain times'?" George frowned.

Hermione glanced up at Sirius, who was watching her closely. She knew that if she asked, he would send the Weasley twins away so she wouldn't have to finish this embarrassing conversation, but they had saved her life, and she felt she owed them an explanation.

"Female werewolves sometimes go into heat," she blurted, closing her eyes so she wouldn't see the disgust on their faces at the revelation.

Again there was silence, and after a moment had passed she peeked at her friends to gage their reactions. Their mouths were agape and they were staring at her with something akin to awe.

"Are you saying that you're in _heat_?" Fred eventually chuckled. A ridiculous smile was forming on his face, as if he just couldn't believe he had just said that out loud.

Hermione nodded pathetically.

"Oh…oh, WOW!" George gasped, blanching. "That's uh…"

"Very interesting," Fred finished for him. "So, um, how do you handle it? I mean, you're not seeing anyone and it's just you three living here and…Oh!" His eyes went wide in understanding when her cheeks suddenly went red, and she glanced back at Sirius pleadingly.

The twins grinned mischievously. "Well, thank you for the explanation," Fred smiled.

"And don't worry about us telling anyone," George laughed.

"No one would believe us anyway," Fred said shaking his head. "I can hardly believe this myself. Anyway, we really have to be getting back to work. We've already been gone far too long and there are people waiting on us, but, uh, we'll see you at the party, okay?"

They each gave her a hug goodbye and then they patted Sirius on the back, whether to bid him farewell or to congratulate him, she wasn't sure. But then with one final wave they walked back outside and apparated away.

"Well, that wasn't so bad," Sirius shrugged, but Hermione only moaned and reburied her face into his chest.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" he murmured, kissing her head gently.

"No," she mumbled, her words obscured by his warm body. "I was really scared."

Sirius ran a hand through his hair in agitation. Remus had gone out shortly after Hermione to get some errands done, but as soon as he returned he fully planned on telling him all that had occurred. Sirius was furious, and he was certain that Remus' reaction was bound to be just as violent. But for now all he could do was comfort this beautiful, terrified woman.

"What can I do?" he asked softly, rubbing his large hands over her back.

Hermione sniffed pitifully and looked up at him, tears forming in her eyes. He felt so good, and all she wanted was for him to keep holding her.

"Take me upstairs," she whispered achingly and then she pulled his mouth down to hers.

The kiss was passionate and so hot he instantly caught fire, and though he never wanted it to end, he hauled her into his arms and raced up the stairs to his room. Once there he placed her on the bed and then locked and soundproofed the room.

When he turned back to her she could see the hunger in his eyes and she knew that the exact same hunger was reflecting back at him. He never took his eyes from hers as he slowly unbuttoned his shirt and then shrugged it off onto the floor. Hermione held her hand out to him and it was all the invitation he needed. With a deep groan he caught her head in his hand and slammed their mouths together.

Hermione gasped, but parted his lips without hesitation. It always amazed her what a fantastic kisser he was. He never held back when he kissed her, even when his kisses were almost brutal in their intensity. She had to admit that she loved his lack of control.

Sirius yanked her jacket off, and then he peeled off her shirt and bra before throwing them into a growing pile of clothes on the floor. As soon as the soft flesh of her breasts was exposed he trailed lingering kisses in a circle from the outside of each orb in toward the pert center where he latched onto the nipples with lips, tongue and teeth.

Hermione whimpered and squirmed beneath him, anxious to feel his bare skin pressed fully against her own. She dug her fingers into his back and shoulders, encouraging him to move faster, but much to her frustration he continued to move at his own agonizingly slow speed.

With infinite slowness, he moved downward toward her navel where he lapped and nibbled at the smooth, soft skin as his fingers fumbled with the button of her jeans. Once the material was parted, he drifted lower, thoroughly worshiping each new patch of skin he exposed as he slid the material down over her hips and legs. When she was fully exposed he sat back on his heels to take her in.

He couldn't get over how beautiful she was. He had always thought she was attractive; even when she was fifteen and so annoying like Remus in her overly academic, prematurely middle-aged mannerisms that he just wanted to bang his head against the wall whenever she spoke, but then she had grown into the stunning, level-headed woman lying before him and his feelings toward her had changed. He had wanted her even before she had been bitten. Hell, he had wanted her before she ever decided to move in, though he had never told anyone. And now he had her, and it amazed him.

When he was done with his thorough examination of her body, he stood and stripped of the rest of his clothes before lowering himself back down over her. He began kissing her again as his hands traveled down over her body to her supple thighs, then he hooked her knees under his elbows and pulled her to his mouth.

Hermione nearly bucked off the bed when his talented mouth found her. He already knew all of her secret pleasure points and he sought them out eagerly. Hermione was wild beneath him, raking her nails over his back and shoulders with such force that she was sure she drew blood, and yet Sirius refused to stop. She felt an orgasm build and explode out of her, immediately followed by another and another. She screamed until her voice went hoarse, and her body shook so hard from the intense never-ending pleasure that her teeth rattled in her head.

Finally, when she was teetering on the edge of complete blackout from overstimulation, he reared back, and throwing her legs over his shoulders, he rammed into her. Hermione purred at the delicious sensation of his considerable width stretching her, and the particularly deep angle this position provided meant that he hit every hidden sweet spot she had all at once.

Sirius held her hips against him as he propelled his body within hers. It had been far too long since he had had her like this and he hated to admit it, but he knew he couldn't last. Already he felt himself lose control and he began panting as his pleasure escalated.

"Oh, God!" he gasped as he felt the pressure build. "Come for me, baby. Just one more time."

She didn't need him to say it because she was already half way there. The intensity of the release when it hit her nearly shook her off the bed. Only Sirius' strong arms held her in place as she rode each lingering wave of pleasure as they washed over her. She felt her inner muscles spasm, pulling him deeper and gripping him like a vice. She grinned feebly when he screamed as her body forced his over the edge.

They fell together on the bed, each struggling to catch their breath as their hearts continued to pound in their chests. When he was able, Sirius kissed her one last time and then rolled onto his side, pulling her over with him. She heard his harsh breath begin to slow and after a moment she knew he was asleep. She felt drowsiness pulling at her, and before she allowed sleep to take her, the whispered words of the putrid werewolf rang again in her mind.

"_This isn't over. I WILL find you_."


	13. Taking action

Sorry it's taken longer than I expected to update. I've been horribly distracted lately, but I still try to write a bit every night. Anyway, here is the newest chapter. Please read and review. The next chapter should be the party where big things happen…that's what I have planned anyway…

As always – a BIG THANK YOU to all those who have read and reviewed so far!

* * *

When Remus got home a few hours later Sirius met him at the door.

"We need to talk," he said gravely.

"What's wrong?" Remus asked anxiously, noting his friends' deeply disturbed countenance.

"Hermione met another werewolf in Diagon Alley this afternoon, and he smelled the heat on her."

"Oh, shit," Remus growled. He mentally kicked himself for not foreseeing such a complicating encounter. When he had realized that morning that she was going back into heat, he had a nagging feeling that he should prevent her from leaving the house, but he had chalked the unfamiliar emotion up to his own selfish jealousy. He rationalized that she would never accept limitations on her freedom just because one of her sometimes lovers didn't want her exposed to other men, so he had kept it to himself.

However, Hermione encountering another werewolf had hardly crossed his mind. Though his kind did frequent Diagon Alley to shop, he had never encountered one there earlier than 5 o' clock on the weekend. The reason for this, Remus knew, was that Diagon Alley was simply too busy in the midday hours for one of his kind to feel at all comfortable. There were far too many people making too much noise for ultra-sensitive ears, and too many mingled odors for hypersensitive noses. He knew that as a relatively new werewolf Hermione would be much less affected by this, but as she got older and her senses became more developed, she would no longer be able to stand the oppression of the masses of people. Because she had decided to visit the shops at noon on a Saturday, he had assumed she'd be safe.

"It gets worse," Sirius said after several seconds. "He was a pack male; most likely an alpha, and he tried to force her to go with him to his den."

Remus stiffened at this bit of news and a menacing snarl hissed through his clenched teeth.

"Thankfully this all took place directly outside of the Weasley's joke shop, and the boys saw what was going on and were able to intervene before anything really bad happened. They brought her home straight away, but Hermione was really shaken by it all."

"How is she now?" Remus asked, concern finally breaking through his rage. "Is she upstairs?"

"She's resting," Sirius nodded. He deliberately left out that she was resting in his bed, even though he knew that Remus likely wouldn't mind.

"Do we have any idea who he was?"

"She didn't recognize him," Sirius said with a sigh, "Though she can describe him well enough. I wonder if we should contact Kingsley and have her give him the description. Maybe that way he could send some Aurors out to the known dens and see if they can find him and bring him in."

"That's a good idea," Remus agreed. "She wanted to talk to him about the werewolf census and the new law reform anyway. This way we can do both at once."

"You know, having access to information on every den in the country would actually be a good thing right about now," Sirius frowned. "Maybe we should discourage her from trying to stop the laws."

Remus chuckled darkly. "You're right, it would be useful in this case. And yet, as persuasive as I know she can be, somehow I don't think she'll change Kingsley's mind on the matter so she might as well have her say. You know she won't be satisfied until she does."

"I know," Sirius said, shaking his head in amusement, "Hermione and her causes. She's always fighting injustice wherever she perceives it. Even when no one else cares, like with the house elves. What was the name of her cause? S.P.U.N.K?"

"S.P.E.W," Remus chortled. "The Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare, if I recall properly."

"Right, I knew it was some sort of bodily fluid," Sirius grinned. "Anyway, I'll send an owl to the ministry so hopefully we'll have a response tonight, but for now, let's just let her rest."

Remus nodded and Sirius hurried away to write the letter. Once he was alone another idea struck him. Having lived with packs of wolves for a while during both wars he was familiar with the scents of many different lycanthropic individuals. He wondered if he sniffed Hermione might he be able to detect and recognize the other male? It certainly seemed to be worth a try.

He quietly made his way upstairs and knocked on Hermione's door. When she didn't answer he opened it and peeked in, but she wasn't there. Frowning he took a step back and breathed in deeply, searching for her scent. Once he realized where her odor was strongest he sighed and shook his head. It was incredibly unlikely she would have any of the other male's smell left on her if she was sleeping in Sirius' room. For a moment he felt a pang of jealousy that Sirius had been the one to comfort her when she was in need, but he shook it off, knowing that before her heat was over, he would likely have his chance.

When he got back downstairs Sirius was waiting for him in the kitchen.

"I've sent the message, so hopefully we won't have to wait long for a response. There certainly are perks being friends with the Minister, and it doesn't hurt that Hermione is something of a celebrity."

"Actually, I think her celebrity status is a bit of a double-edged sword now." Remus mused, and when Sirius shot him a confused look he continued, "Once it comes out that she is a werewolf, she will be fodder for the gossips. Still, if she wanted she could really shine some light on werewolf issues. Since people know and respect her it means that they are more likely to listen to her."

Sirius made a thoughtful face. "That is something to consider. Maybe you two should discuss it later. In the meantime, I think I'll start making dinner."

When Hermione woke up a few hours later the men were waiting for her in the kitchen. They told her about contacting Kingsley, and she agreed that it was a good idea. As they'd hoped a response had come from the ministry within a half hour after sending the owl. Kingsley was appalled and deeply concerned that Hermione had been accosted in a public place by an unknown werewolf. It was especially unnerving since it had happened so soon after announcing the new werewolf law reform. People would be less likely to accept the changes if it came to light that there were rogue werewolves running amok in the community trying to abduct young women, and because of that he wanted to deal with the issue quickly and quietly. He assured them he would meet with them at 6 o'clock with a couple of Aurors.

Hermione was relieved to learn that they had left out the reason why she had been accosted. If Kingsley was going to learn about her lycanthropy she wanted to be the one to tell him. She also wondered idly which Aurors he was bringing with him. Then her eyes widened in horror.

"Uh, guys?" she asked hesitantly, "You did tell him _not_ to bring Harry, right?"

Remus looked toward Sirius and frowned when he saw his friend wince visibly.

"Aw, shit," Sirius muttered. "No, I didn't even think about it." Of course it was likely that Kingsley would bring Harry. Not only was he one of the best new Aurors the Ministry had, but he was also one of Hermione's best friends.

Hermione rubbed her temples anxiously. "When will they be here?"

"A little over an hour," Sirius told her and then he walked over to wrap a comforting arm around her. "I am so sorry, honey. It never even occurred to me that Harry might be involved."

Hermione sighed and hugged him back. "It's alright. I knew I was going to have to tell him eventually, anyway. I just thought I'd have more time to mentally prepare myself."

"What do you need us to do?" Remus asked sincerely.

Hermione smiled weakly at him. "Just be there with me. It will be easier if you two are by my side."

"Of course, sweetheart," Sirius said, hugging her tighter. "We will be there for you whenever you need us."

"Always," Remus agreed.

Kingsley arrived just after dinner with Harry and another Auror named Williamson. Upon spotting her, Harry ran over and pulled her into his arms.

"Are you okay?" he asked, worriedly.

"I'm fine," she wheezed when he released her from his exceptionally tight embrace.

"When Kingsley told me what happened I nearly lost my mind, but there are still a few things I don't understand. So, why don't you tell us exactly what happened from the beginning."

Hermione quickly explained everything that had happened earlier in the day, but the more she said the more confused Harry seemed. She could see the queries forming in his eyes, but to his credit he didn't interrupt her once. However, once she had finished her story he immediately began asking the questions she was dreading.

"Do you think he recognized you from the papers? Maybe that was why he wanted you so badly," He suggested quickly. "And you said he reacted angrily at first, but then he became cajoling and then demanding. Why do you think he switched tactics so quickly? And what do you think he meant when he said he needed a new bitch for his den? Do you think he meant to turn you?"

Hermione followed all of his questions, intending to answer them as honestly as possible. As she listened she focused on steeling her nerves for the moment she would break the news to him. She was still very nervous about his reaction, but she knew that she just had to suck it up and get on with it like she had done with the twins. Finally he had paused his questioning and was waiting for answers and she knew the time had come.

"No, I don't think he knew who I was," she told him. "But, I do know why he wanted me so badly." She paused and swallowed hard, finding that she wasn't quite as brave as she needed to be. In the next second Sirius and Remus were there, each on either side of her and they were holding her shaking hands in theirs. She looked up at them and smiled, feeling her resolve stiffen.

"He wanted me because I already am a werewolf."

Harry simply stared at her as did Kingsley. For several seconds no one said a thing, but then Harry suddenly began to guffaw.

"Is this some kind of early April fool's day joke?" he accused, still chuckling.

Kingsley looked unsure, but when Harry's laughter didn't die down he cleared his throat and gave everyone a severe look.

"I am a very busy man and I certainly don't appreciate you three taking up my time with silly pranks; especially such un-amusing ones. I would think you'd know better, particularly you two," he said, pointing toward Remus and Hermione. Sirius arched an affronted eyebrow at being left out. His pranks were certainly more humorous and imaginative than this.

"I can assure you this is not a joke," Remus said flatly, giving his friends a stern look.

The grim note in his voice finally broke through Harry's abandoned mirth and the young Auror's laughter slowly faded. He took in the serious expressions of the inhabitants of Grimmauld Place and then frowned deeply.

"What are you talking about?" he demanded. "Hermione isn't a werewolf so stop this ridiculousness. It isn't funny anymore."

"I'm afraid it's the truth," Hermione confessed, squeezing the men's hands tighter in hers. She had known he would have a hard time accepting this revelation and she hoped his coming freak out would be short lived.

"What the _HELL_!" Harry snapped furiously, shaking his head as he jumped to his feet and began to pace the floor. "How could this have happened?"

Hermione quickly explained the circumstances of her change; how the wolfsbane potion had failed and how Remus had broken out of the attic room and bitten her before she and Sirius could get out.

"That was the night you two stayed at my place, wasn't it?" he suddenly recalled. "That was why your hand was bandaged. He…he _BIT_ you!"

Harry was furious as he advanced menacingly toward Remus, who stiffened at his approach but did not shy away or attempt to protect himself. Sirius, however, was not about to let anything happen to either his childhood friend or godson and quickly stepped between them. Hermione also moved to shield Remus with her body.

"It wasn't his fault!" she said sharply. "I don't blame him and you won't either."

"He bit you and turned you into a werewolf and you don't blame him?" Harry snapped hysterically.

"No," Hermione replied as calmly as she could to his aggressive tone and posture. "I'm actually okay. The three of us have found a way to make this whole situation work. Really, being a werewolf isn't so bad."

"Not so bad!?" He shrieked. "Jesus, Hermione! "You're telling me that you become a horrible monster once a month and everything is just fine and fucking dandy! Have you lost your goddamned mind?!"

"Watch it, mate," Sirius hissed, stepping closer to his godson with a warning expression on his handsome face. "I know you're upset, but I won't let you talk to her that way."

"Stay out of this, Black," Harry growled. "Don't think I've forgotten your part in this mess. You were supposed to protect her for fuck's sake!"

"Stop it _NOW_!" Hermione screamed, advancing on Harry and pushing him back into his seat. She stood over him fuming with her hands on her hips and a belligerent look on her face that reminded him so much of his wife and mother-in-law. "You listen to me, Harry Potter! As I explained to both of these men when they were wallowing in guilt over this whole matter…No one is to blame. This was an _accident_! No one meant for it to happen, and though we tried, we were unable to prevent it. Now, since this happened to _me_ and _not you_, I alone reserve the right to hand out blame and I refuse to do so. So you will do as I say and drop it! Do you understand me?!"

"B-but Hermione, I…"

"I SAID DROP IT!"

"Okay, fine!" Harry yelled. "I'm just surprised and upset… and reasonably so."

Hermione took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm herself down. "Yes, I knew it would be difficult for you to hear this, but you need to compose yourself and begin focusing on the fact that I'm not upset about it. I have accepted it, and you need to as well. Now, can we get back to the matter at hand?"

Harry looked both contrite and defiant as he crossed his arms over his chest, but eventually he sighed and ran a hand through his already messy hair.

"Okay, you're right," he mumbled apologetically. "I'm sorry I reacted so badly, I just wasn't expecting news like this."

"It's okay," Hermione said lightly, giving him a tentative smile. "I wasn't expecting this to ever happen to me either. But, it did and I'm dealing with it."

"Give me some time to deal with it too, okay. It's kind of a lot to take in."

She flashed him a quick half smile. "Don't take too long, okay?"

Harry nodded and quickly became business like again. "So, this werewolf who accosted you – what did he look like?"

Hermione thought back to the encounter and shuddered involuntarily at the memory. "He was tall and very solid. His clothes were dirty and worn and he smelled really bad. His teeth were stained and brown and he had scars all over his face and hands. Um, I think his eyes were a yellow/brown and his hair might have been dark blonde, but it was filthy so I can't be sure."

"The Weasley twins saw him as well?" The Auror named Williamson asked, reminding her that he was even in the room.

"Yes, I think so," she nodded.

"Is that all you can remember about him?" Harry probed. When Hermione nodded again he stood. "Okay, I think we should get statements from the twins and then head over to Diagon Alley and question the shopkeepers to see if anyone remembers him."

"You should also go to Knockturn Alley as well," Sirius suggested.

"Yes, of course," Williamson agreed. "However, we're less likely to get any viable statements from anyone there. That place is full of shady characters and they generally aren't as willing to give each other up; bad for business, you know. Still, we will try."

"What about the dens?"Hermione asked, nervously. In all honesty she didn't want Harry to go anywhere near those places. She knew he would never go alone, and the dens were no longer being influenced by Voldemort or the Death Eaters, but that didn't make her feel any better about him being near what was essentially nests of feral werewolves.

"We'll go to Diagon Alley first," Harry said. "That way we might be able to find out which den to visit and eliminate all the others. Werewolves really don't care for impromptu Ministry visits and we're trying not to rile them right now. However, if we don't make any head way at either Diagon or Knockturn Alley then we'll start scouting the known dens."

"All right," Kingsley nodded, getting to his feet. "I think we have all the information we need just now. Hermione, we'll keep you abreast of our progress. Oh, and please believe me when I say that I'm glad you are safe, and if I can be of any help with your new, ah, life – please let me know."

"Actually Minister, I do have a few things to discuss with you if you have the time," she said immediately. Kingsley arched an eyebrow at her, but nodded once and turned to dismiss the two Aurors. Before Harry could leave Hermione strode over to him and pulled him into a tight hug.

"Please be careful," she murmured into his shoulder.

Harry chucked and patted her back. "When am I not careful?" he smiled.

Hermione smirked and swatted him on the arm. "Really, be very careful. You have a wife and baby to think about now. Oh, and please promise that you won't tell anyone about me. I know I'll have to tell them eventually, but I really want it to be on my own terms…not that that seems to be working out for me at all, but still."

Harry stared down at her for a moment then sighed. "They're not going to take it well regardless; especially Ron. My reaction might as well have been a hissy-fit compared to the total freak out he's going to have."

"Believe me, I know," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Speaking of that," he frowned thoughtfully, "do you still want to host this party? I mean, isn't the full moon on Sunday?"

"We agreed to this already knowing that the full moon was the next night, so yes, we're still good."

He seemed unsure but the finality in her eyes made him drop the subject.

"All right, I'll let you know if I find out anything, otherwise I'll see you Saturday. Oh, and don't worry about Williamson; I'll tell him to keep quiet." He hugged her one more time before stepping into the fireplace and vanishing in a burst of green flames.

Hermione watched him disappear and then she turned back to Kingsley.

"Thanks for staying," she smiled. "I wanted to talk to you about the new werewolf legislation. It won't take long…"

Kingsley, who knew better, could only sigh and wave for her to continue.


	14. Party Surprises

Here is the next installment of my story. There are only about two more chapters to go.

As always, thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed so far.

Please let me know what you think!

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The following week was incredibly stressful for each of the residents of Grimmauld place. Beyond the remaining party planning, which had everyone on edge, the men were being particularly overbearing with Hermione.

She understood that the incident with the other wolf had really upset them, but she had no idea how dramatic the repercussions would be. If she had to choose a word to describe their behavior it would be possessive. They were fine as long as they were near her, but their constant presence was beginning to drive her crazy. It was as if she had acquired two solid shadows that followed her everywhere. They almost never let her out of her sight.

At least one of them men was near her nearly every second of the day. When she woke up in the morning one of them would be in her bed, even if he wasn't there when she fell asleep. No matter where she went in the house, within a few minutes, one or both of them would inevitably show up.

They certainly never let her go outside on her own. The only times she had any amount of privacy was when she went to the bathroom, and even then they would often be waiting for her when she was done. At first she thought the extra attention to be sweet and comforting, but after a few days it started to get on her nerves.

Then two days before the party Harry and Williamson stopped by to give them an update on their investigation. Unfortunately no one in Diagon or Knockturn Alley had been of any help, nor was there a werewolf who matched the description Hermione gave in any of the known dens. They informed her that soon the Ministry would be tasking Aurors with locating any uncharted dens for the census. They were confident that the werewolf she described would eventually be located, but they couldn't tell her how long that might take.

Hermione was upset that they hadn't been able to find her assailant, but she understood that they had really tried and were not giving up. Remus and Sirius could tell that she was worried, but since she hadn't told them the other werewolf's parting words, they didn't really understand why she was so uneasy and chalked it up to a side effect of her heat which was getting stronger every day. Still, after that she stopped scoffing when they insisted on following her everywhere.

As the weekend approached Hermione felt her emotions running high. She was anxious for the party both because she wanted to see all of her old friends, but also because she just wanted the whole thing to be over so the stress she felt would ease. Plus she was very concerned about the full moon and how she and the men would handle her heat this time.

The men had been trying their best to help her cope with everything, but even their special talents (as wonderful as they might be) could only take her mind off of things for a few hours at a time. It amused her to discover that those special encounters helped to relax them much more thoroughly than her, but she couldn't begrudge them that relief since she knew they were feeling strained as well.

Finally Saturday dawned and the tension in the house sky rocketed. There seemed like a million last minute things had to be done before guests began arriving in the evening. While Hermione cooked and otherwise prepared the food, the men finished up all of the last minute cleaning and decorating. When that was finally done they had less than two hours to get themselves ready.

Hermione bathed and washed her hair which she then carefully dried, straightened, and styled in an elegant up-do. Once her hair was done she reluctantly applied a thin layer of make-up to her eyes, lips, and cheeks. As someone who never cared for, or gave much thought to beauty products of any sort, this was an unwelcome chore. When she was finally satisfied with the results of that task, she then picked out her favorite, but seldom used, black satin dress.

The sleek garment had been an impulse buy and though she'd had it for over a year, she had only worn it once. Sliding it over her skin felt like slipping into a cool pond. The material fluttered and settled in all the right places. It's low neck allowing a nice but not unseemly peek of cleavage, and its mid-thigh length displaying smooth, shapely legs.

As Hermione slipped on her heels she glanced at the clock and gasped. The guests were due to arrive any minute. Giving her reflection one last glance she made for the hall. Not surprisingly the men were waiting for her at the base of the stairs and as she descended they couldn't take their eyes off of her.

"You look amazing," Sirius smiled, and Hermione couldn't help the pleased flush that tinted her cheeks.

"You do look beautiful," Remus agreed as he took her in, but he was frowning slightly and it made Hermione raise an eyebrow in question.

"What's wrong?" she asked uncertainly.

Remus cleared his throat and looked away for a moment. "There are going to be other men here tonight," he grumbled.

"So?"

He huffed and ran a hand through his hair in mild agitation. "Well, it's just that you have quite a lot of skin showing."

"What?" she blurted, staring at him in shock. As far as little black dresses were concerned, hers could practically be considered matronly compared to others she'd seen that were basically bikinis in garment form.

"Don't mind him," Sirius intervened before Remus could say something that would further upset her. "I think his wolf is just feeling a little possessive about its mate."

"Oh," Hermione blinked, as she worried at her bottom lip. "Um, should I change? I mean, I don't want to cause you discomfort." She glanced up at Remus to watch his expressions. Thankfully his features softened and he shook his head.

"Sirius is right; I'm just feeling jealous that I have to share your beautiful body with a horde of horny young men."

Hermione smiled at him and pulled him down for a quick but passionate kiss. "Just remember; they might get to look, but only _my_ men get to touch." Then not to leave Sirius out, she thoroughly kissed him as well. Just as she pulled away there was a knock at the door signaling that the first of the guests had arrived.

An hour later nearly every one of the sixty-four invited guests were happily chatting and drinking in the magically extended sitting room. The only people yet to arrive were Harry, Ginny, and Ron. The reason for this was that, though Ron knew a birthday party was awaiting him, he had no idea just how big the gathering was. He had been told he was coming to attend a small dinner party with his immediate family and a few close friends.

Harry sent his patronus ahead to warn everyone that they were on their way, so when the three friends finally arrived the entire assembly yelled, "Surprise!" which both stunned and delighted the birthday boy.

Hermione ran over and pulled Ron into a tight hug. "Happy birthday!" she squealed as she squeezed him tight.

"Did you do all this?" he laughed as he hugged her back.

"Well, it was mostly Harry's idea, but of course Sirius, Remus, and I did all the work."

"Yeah, thanks by the way," Harry grinned as he planted a fat kiss on her cheek.

The men were at their side instantly, nudging between Harry and Hermione to shake hands with the birthday boy. Hermione caught the slightly jealous flash in Remus' eyes as he brushed by and she chuckled to herself surreptitiously. The room was currently chock full of single young men who were eyeing her hungrily. She wondered idly if her overly protective men were planning on shadowing her all night just to keep an eye on any would-be suitors. If so, they might have a very hectic night ahead of them.

Hermione spent a while chatting with Ron and her other close friends before conjuring four very large tables that were piled high with a variety of foods. After everyone had eaten their fill she banished the tables and conjured another which held Ron's grand and elaborately decorated birthday cake. The frosted monstrosity had taken several hours over two days to complete and she felt a rush of pride when the crowd gasped and awed over it. It was especially touching to see Ron's ears glow bright red and moisture to gather in his eyes as everyone began singing 'Happy Birthday'.

After the cake was eaten Harry asked Hermione to help pass out glasses of champagne to all of the guests. Once everyone was plied with the bubbly refreshment he tapped his glass to gain their attention.

"Thank you to everyone who came tonight to celebrate the birthday of our very special friend, Ron. As you might know, this is the first time we've been able to properly celebrate his birthday since before the Great Fight.

Ron, from the bottom of my heart I wish you the very best of birthdays. I'd also like to congratulate you on single handedly reviving the struggling Chudley Cannons; we hope to see good things from the team over the next year. So, everyone please raise your glasses and let's all toast to Ronald Weasley – may the future bring you every happiness!"

"To Ron!" everyone cheered as they held their glasses high.

After everyone had taken a sip of their champagne Harry raised his glass again to gain their attention.

"Pardon me for interrupting again," Harry continued, "but if Ron doesn't mind I have another announcement to make."

Ron arched an eyebrow but waved him on.

"Thank you," Harry smiled and then he pulled Ginny to his side. "Since everyone is gathered here already we thought we'd take this opportunity to make a special announcement. Sometime this late summer Ginny and I will be welcoming a new addition to our family."

A communal gasp went up and then the crowd reacted as one; cheering and clapping and congratulating the young couple. Molly pushed her way through the gathering of bodies to pull her daughter and son-in-law into a massive hug.

"How could you keep something like this from me!?" she demanded as she squeezed them both.

"Mom!" Ginny gasped as she struggled to free herself from her mother's impressive bosom. "If I suffocate there won't be a baby!"

"Oh, sorry dear," Mrs. Weasley smiled as she released her daughter who stumbled back and had to be steadied by her husband.

"Oh, Ginny, I cannot believe it!" Fleur said as she and Bill made their way up to the petite redhead. "Zer must be something in ze water because I too am pregnant!"

At this announcement Molly had to sit down because her blood pressure had skyrocketed. Anyone looking at the woman could see that she was about to explode with excitement.

"Oh, my God, Fleur!" Ginny squealed, hugging her sister-in-law and oldest brother delightedly. "That's wonderful! How far along are you?"

"I am also due in late summer," the stunning blond said as she flipped her long hair proudly.

Hermione froze when she heard this and it took her a moment to find her voice. "So you both became pregnant in early December?" she asked anxiously.

Both women nodded happily. "Actually, as awkward as it might sound, I think I got pregnant the night of your dinner party." Ginny confessed with some embarrassment.

"Me too!" Fleur gasped. "Bill was quite ze animal zat night," she added with a wink.

"Oh, God!" Hermione whispered to herself and she felt the room begin to spin. One pregnancy at the peak of her heat was a coincidence, two was too bizarre to ignore. She glanced around the room at all of the people she had had close contact with over the past few hours and saw more than just casual flirting going on. How many of her friends would become pregnant just because they were near her tonight? What would the repercussions be for them? How could she deal with the guilt if her over-active hormones completely screwed up the life of someone she cared about?

"Um, congratulations you guys," she said quickly, feeling an uncomfortable heat rise up her neck. She gave both women a quick hug and then quickly walked into the hall away from the oppressive mob of bodies and noise.

"Hermione!" Remus called to her retreating figure as he jogged to catch up with her. "What's wrong?"

"Did you hear what they said?" she hissed through a tear clogged throat. "They both got pregnant the night of our dinner party last December."

"So?" Sirius asked as he came up behind them.

"I did that to them," Hermione said miserably.

Remus cocked his head to the side in confusion and Sirius frowned and shook his head slowly, sure he'd misheard her.

"You got them pregnant?" he repeated uncertainly.

"Essentially, yes," she nodded. "It was my hormones. They all were near me that night, breathing in my pheromones and then they each went home and got ravished by their husbands and then they got pregnant."

Remus sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "We don't know if that is anything more than a coincidence."

"One might be coincidence, but two…the odds are too great." She cried despondently.

"Okay, let's say you're right." Sirius conceded, raising a quelling hand to try and head off her hysterics. "But, they're _happy_. Those two women want to have babies, so what's the big deal?"

"What about everyone else?" Hermione moaned. "I have been in contact with over sixty people tonight. Let's assume that a quarter of them leave here tonight and have sex. How can I just let them go without warning them that they might end up pregnant?"

"Hermione, every time people have sex they run the risk of getting pregnant. You can't be held responsible for what other people do." Remus reached over and wiped her tears away. He was trying to be the voice of reason with her but he knew that she could be a very emotional person and she tended to take everything to heart. That was one of the reasons he cared so much for her. She was high spirited and the heat just added to that. Personally, he found it quite endearing.

"I know," she sniffed. "It's just that I never expected my condition to affect other people so dramatically. I figured the biggest consequence of this would be how differently people would treat me. I never expected, or wanted it to impact them personally."

Remus sighed and drew a finger across her cheek. "What do you need us to do?"

"J-just leave me be for a moment. I need some fresh air."

The men exchanged a distressing glance. They weren't comfortable leaving her alone for very long, and they were extremely uneasy about her being outside by herself. She saw the look and huffed in exasperation.

"One of you can stand just inside the door if it makes you feel better. I just need a moment to calm down and clear my head."

Sirius shook his head, and then shrugged lightly. "I'll do it," he agreed. I'll wait in the hall for you, but please promise me that you won't be long."

"Thank you," she said giving them both a weak smile. She could see that Remus was very unhappy, but she just needed to feel the cool night air on her face for a moment. Her mind was still racing and her skin felt overheated from both the large push of people and the effects of her heat. Just a moment of peace would help to sooth her rampant emotions.

Hermione kissed both men lightly on the lips and then walked to the front door and down to the sidewalk. She turned and saw Sirius peek out the window at her and she waved lightly before drawing in a deep relaxing breath. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the silence and peace of the early spring night.

"Well, hello," a deep voice suddenly whispered in her ear. "I was wondering how long I was going to have to wait for you."

Hermione gasped and made to turn, but a large hand grabbed her around the torso, holding her arms to her sides while another hand slammed across her mouth cutting off the beginnings of a scream.

She knew who it was. His voice had been haunting her dreams all week and hearing it again made an uncontrollable fear race up her spine. The werewolf pressed his cheek to hers and inhaled deeply. He growled lightly and turned his head to lick her from her collar to her ear. Hermione couldn't help the disgusted shiver that slithered down her body, but it only seemed to encourage him and he pressed tighter against her so she could feel his body's reaction.

Her mind screamed at her to fight so she began to struggle but it only seemed to amuse him. Then she bit down on his hand hard enough to draw blood and he yowled and jerked her body around to face him before back handing her across the cheek. Hermione hit the ground with enough force to rattle her teeth. Her mind was reeling and she couldn't think, but her body reacted without hesitation and she was sure that the earsplitting scream that tore out of her throat was loud enough to draw Sirius' attention.

In the next instant she heard the door slam open and she heard Sirius' voice demanding to know what was going on. She also heard the werewolf curse and then he was jerking her to her feet again.

"Say goodbye," he hissed before turning on the spot an apparating them away.


	15. Revelations

Here is the next chapter (finally)! I hope you enjoy it.

I plan to only have one more for this story, but we'll see how it goes.

Thanks to everyone for the great reviews - I love it!

Keep em' coming!

* * *

"Hermione!" Sirius screamed, his hand was raised toward the last place he'd seen her as if he could somehow pull her back.

When he'd heard her scream he'd gone running to find her in the clutches of an unknown assailant. His stomach had lurched when he saw the man grab her, and it plummeted completely when they had apparated away. Seconds ticked by as Sirius tried to come to terms with what he had seen and then his frozen brain snapped back into action.

He tore back into the house and ran through the hall into the sitting room. His eyes rapidly searched through the assembled crowd for Remus. Finally he spotted him in the far corner chatting happily with Harry and Ron. He bolted haphazardly through the crowd, practically pushing people out of his way as he ran until he finally reached his friend.

"Remus, you have to come with me!" he hissed urgently.

Remus saw the worry and pain in his friend's eyes and he knew that whatever he had to say was going to be truly terrible. He nodded to the two young men standing near him and quickly excused himself to follow Sirius away from the noise of the party. They retreated to the kitchen and Remus steeled himself for whatever bad news he could tell was coming.

"What's wrong?" he asked swiftly.

"Hermione is gone," Sirius practically wailed. "She's been taken!"

Remus blinked and then he frowned deeply. "What do you mean she's been taken?"

Sirius told him about hearing her scream and how he had gone running but before he could even draw his wand and fire off a spell, her kidnapper and she had vanished. As a man who'd spent his life living hand in hand with pain, Remus thought he was somewhat accustomed to it, but the agony he felt as he listened to Sirius surpassed any he had ever known. His heart stuttered and threatened to stop beating completely and at that moment he realized the extent of his feelings for his young lover.

"Do you know who he was?" he asked, pressing a hand to his chest to try and control the uneven thumping of his heart.

"No," Sirius admitted darkly, "But I can guess."

"Right," Remus nodded. "So, how are we going to get her back?"

"I'm not sure. The Aurors don't know the locations of all of the dens yet, and there is no way to track them with magic since they used apparation."

"Perhaps…but perhaps not," Remus said slowly as the thought. "Show me where they were standing when they vanished."

"Wait, we're coming with you," A familiar voice said from the door.

"Harry…Ron!" Sirius yelped. "What are you doing here?"

"Please," Harry scoffed, waving a negligent hand. "We saw the look in your eyes just now and we knew something was really wrong. I take it the mystery werewolf has made his move?"

"You were expecting this?" Remus snapped accusingly.

"I suspected," Harry admitted sheepishly.

"And you didn't think to warn us?" the men growled as one.

Harry sighed and glanced at Ron who seemed both confused and agitated. Ron still didn't know the details of Hermione's new life, so he had to tread lightly.

"I spent the last the last few days doing some research and I've discovered something interesting. You see, there have been very few females who've found themselves in a situation similar to Hermione's in the past two decades; five to be exact, and out of those five three disappeared without a trace. Most suspected that they had simply gone into seclusion, but then something happened to make everyone question whether or not that was true. You see, one of the remaining two showed up at St. Mungo's the morning after a full moon. She was in terrible shape and was barely alive. Once they had her stabilized she told the Aurors that a feral alpha werewolf had taken her from her home and had been holding her prisoner for nearly a week. She said he forced her several times, beating her when she fought his advances. He threatened to give her to his underlings unless she agreed to become his mate. She managed to escape when the others found out about her and tried to force their way into the alpha's den. Thankfully they were too busy fighting amongst themselves to realize she was gone."

"Did the Aurors find the den?" Remus asked.

Harry nodded. "Well, what was left of it anyway. By the time they found it, all that was left was a few discarded belongings and the remains of two werewolves who had apparently died in the scuffle. It seemed clear that when they had realized the female had escaped, they had packed up and moved on to avoid detection by the ministry."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Sirius was livid. If they had had that information a day ago they would have done a lot of things differently – like cancelling the party and not letting Hermione out of their sight – or their beds.

"There's a good chance that the same werewolf, or at least the same den is behind all of these abductions. The only way to find the mystery werewolf and locate the den was to wait for the werewolf to make his move."

"You used Hermione as bait!" Remus shrieked as he advanced on Harry. "She's supposed to be one of your best friends!"

Sirius grabbed Remus' arm as he raised his fist to take a swing at the young Auror.

"Relax, mate." He said stiffly. "I'm sure Harry has a good reason for allowing this, and I'm positive he has a plan…right?"

"He'd better," Remus growled, glaring menacingly at the raven-haired youth.

"Look," Harry said quickly, sensing how precarious his situation was. "We all know that Hermione is no wilting flower. Beyond that, she's the brightest witch of her age. If anyone can handle this situation it's her, but to answer your question, yes, I have a plan. You see, my partner Williamson and I have been staking out this property since I discovered that information two days ago. He's out there right now, in fact."

"Then why didn't he stop him taking her!" Sirius demanded.

"We have to find the den," Harry explained calmly. "If the members of this den are responsible for abducting and possibly killing those women, we need to locate them and put a stop to it."

"But they apparated." Sirius told him. "How are you going to track them?"

"I put a tracking spell on Hermione's wand when we were here last time. It should be able to tell us where she is."

Remus' glare was icy. "Harry, just so you know – if anything happens to her, I'm holding you personally responsible."

Harry blanched and nodded. "Why don't we go talk to Williamson, and then I can call in for back up and we'll go and get her back."

"I'm going with you," Remus said instantly.

"Me too," Sirius added.

"I just want to know what the hell is going on," Ron finally demanded. He had quietly listened to everything; the whole time knowing that there was something more to this than what was being revealed. He hoped that his friends would bring him out of the dark, but when no one did he finally lost control of his tenuous temper.

The other three men glanced at each other and finally Remus cleared his throat. "I'm sorry Ron, but we promised Hermione that we wouldn't say anything to anyone. She planned on telling you everything tonight, but she just never got the chance."

"Someone tell me what the _HELL_ is going on!" The red-head bellowed.

Sirius and Remus exchanged another glance and then Remus sighed. "Alright, but I'm going to tell her I had no other choice. Hermione is a werewolf."

He explained everything to Ron and he watched as the youngest Weasley male went from freckled white to enraged mottled purple. By the end of the story he was being held back by both Sirius and Harry as he attempted to tear Remus limb from limb. Eventually they were able to calm him somewhat, but he made it clear that the subject was not being dropped, just postponed until they brought Hermione home safe and sound.

After Ron had somewhat settled the four men went outside to talk to Willamson. It became clear that he would be of little help to the case when they found him knocked unconscious in an alley across from the house. He told them he had neither seen nor heard his attacker and as such had been out of it while the werewolf was kidnapping Hermione.

"I don't know how he knew I was there," he said in surprise.

"He smelled you," Sirius said simply. "Well, what now?"

"Now Williamson is going to go inside and tell Kingsley what's happened, and they will call in some more Aurors," Harry explained, nodding to Williamson who instantly stood and walked back toward the house.

"I think I should cast the locating spell now," he added, as he pulled a map out of his back pocket. He unfolded the map on the ground and held his wand loosely between his thumb and forefinger above it.

"Locatus Energai Hermione Granger!" he said and both the map and his wand began to glow pale blue. The wand began to sway slowly at first then more rapidly until it seemingly jerked itself out of his grasp to land point down on a particular spot on the map.

"Where is that?" Sirius asked, squinting at the squiggly lines and small print.

"Enhance location," Harry said and the map changed to focus in on the point where the wand stood. All four of them crowded closer to the paper and then they each sat up sharply.

"I don't understand," Ron said, as he looked around him. "That's right here, isn't it?"

"No," Sirius said through clenched teeth. "It's right there." He pointed back toward his own house. "She was wearing a dress tonight and probably didn't have her wand with her when she was taken."

"Oh, shit!" Harry swore, closing his eyes. He hadn't even considered that Hermione would go anywhere without her wand. Unfortunately, because his eyes were closed he didn't see Ron's fist coming at him until it was too late.

* * *

Hermione was cold, hungry and above all else, terrified. When the world had stopped spinning after the apparition was complete she opened her eyes to find herself standing in a frigid, damp cave. The werewolf then grabbed her by the arm and tossed her haphazardly onto an old moldy mattress at the back of the cave, and before she could even stand he snapped a chain around her ankle effectively tethering her to the slimy black wall.

"Well, my dear. How do you like your new home?" he smirked, showing long stained teeth. "It might not be as luxurious as you're used to, but I'm sure you'll adapt quickly."

"Unchain me and let me go _right now_!" Hermione hissed, ignoring his question.

"Oh, I don't think so, baby," he chuckled mockingly. "You see, I have been lonely for far too long. My last mate met an unfortunate end several years ago and ever since then I have searched all over for someone to take her place. It was fate that brought you to me that day in Diagon Alley and now that I have you, I'm not letting you get away. Make no mistake – you belong to me now and I intend to keep it that way. Tomorrow night, when we go through the change I'm going to mark you when I take you, and then you'll be mine until you die."

"You can't keep me here!" Hermione shrieked as she struggled against her restraint.

"Shhh," the werewolf said, pressing a finger to his lips. "You don't want the others to hear you. You are a female in heat and if they find out that you're here before I mark you they'll go into a frenzy. It's happened before and believe me, it wasn't pretty. It's going to be hard enough to mask your smell." He leaned forward and sniffed her hair. "Not that you smell bad. In fact you smell so delicious I'm not sure I can wait until tomorrow night."

"You keep your filthy hands off me, you disgusting animal!" Hermione snarled, slapping him away.

The werewolf grinned, but relented and pulled away. "If I had more time, I would show you just how skilled these filthy hands are, but I have pack matters to attend to, so sadly, you'll sleep alone tonight. But, don't worry – there'll be plenty of time tomorrow night and every night for the rest of your life." With that he stood and walked out of the cave.

Hermione immediately began trying to escape, but the chain was strong and firmly secured into the wall so her efforts proved useless. She then tried to think logically about how to get herself out of this mess, all the while kicking herself for leaving her wand on her dresser. If she had her wand he never would have succeeded in taking her.

Focusing her mind she began taking note of her surroundings. The cave was made of slimy black stone and from the smell of the air she knew she was very close to the sea. She could also smell tree sap, so she assumed she was near a forest. Not that that did her any good – she could be anywhere in the world from that bit of information.

As the reality of her situation began to sink in she realized how cold she was. The frigid March weather and wet surroundings bit through her thin dress to her skin and she began to shiver. Looking around she saw a crumpled blanket nearby. It was damp and greatly stained but as cold as she was, she didn't care. She pulled the ratty material around her shoulders but it only seemed to make her more uncomfortable as it stank to high heaven. After a moment her keen sense of smell picked out a salty, coppery odor and she glanced through the darkness at the cloth and gasped. Dark red splotches marred the material and she knew deep inside that this blanket had been worn by another trapped female who had likely died here in this miserable place.

In that instant Hermione swore that her fate would be different. This was not how her life would end. An image of herself lying peacefully between her men while a cozy fire illuminated the room filled her mind. Only, in her vision they were all much older, having lived a long wonderful life wrapped in each other's arms. That image comforted her like nothing else and she prayed with all of her heart that one day it would come true.

* * *

"Are you okay?" Remus asked as he handed Harry a handkerchief to staunch the blood that steadily dripped from his nose. Ron's forceful punch had sent Harry sprawling to the ground. He guessed that his nose was broken, but Harry knew better than to complain about it since Ron was still fuming as he paced the alley.

"Now what do we do?" Sirius asked worriedly. "How are we going to find her?"

"I'm not sure," Remus sighed, running an agitated hand through his hair. "But I am certain that we have to find her before tomorrow night."

"Why?" Ron asked, finally pausing to listen.

"If she goes through the change while she's with him, he might try to mark her." Sirius said; closing his eyes and pinching his nose as the awful truth hit him.

Ron frowned. "What does that mean?"

Remus growled in frustration at the gravity of the situation. "If his wolf mates with hers and then bites her to permanently mark her, her wolf will accept his as her mate. If that happens, even if she wants to leave him she won't because her wolf will demand she stay near her mate. No matter how many times she tries to leave him, during every heat and full moon her wolf will seek his out. She will never accept another lover and it is a bond that is only broken with death."

"His death or hers?" Ron asked.

"Hers," Remus clarified. "If he dies after he's marked her, she will grieve him until she dies as well. The bond is so strong that the grief she would feel would be all consuming. Even if she doesn't love him the bond between marked mates is enough to take over her mind and body. She would literally waste away in her grief and eventually it would kill her."

"What if he marks her in human form?" Harry asked, wiping blood from his face. "What would that do?"

"There would still be a bond, but it wouldn't be as strong. She could leave him, but her mind would drift to him often. She would have to fight to stay away, but she actually could manage it. It's like when a werewolf bites a normal person – if they are in wolf form it will cause the human to become a wolf as well, if they are in human form, it will cause the victim to stay human, but gain wolfish attributes like what happened with Bill. However, I'm certain he'll want a full bond."

"Great, so now we have a time limit," Ron snapped. "How about we stop fucking around and go figure out what to do."

The men nodded and made their way across the street back toward the house. They had just reached the sidewalk in front of number 12 when Remus suddenly stopped moving.

"What's up?" Sirius asked curiously.

Remus held up a pausing finger and then he took a deep breath. "Is this where the confrontation took place?" he asked quickly.

Sirius looked around and nodded. "Yeah, I think so…why?"

Remus sniffed deeply once more. "Can't you smell it?"

"Smell what?" Sirius asked, and then he took a deep breath. There was a strange unfamiliar odor on the air. It was faint, but it was still there. "Okay, where is it coming from?"

Remus got down on the sidewalk and began to track the odor, after a moment he located the source. "There, right there!" he pointed.

"What is it?" Ron asked as he and Harry joined the other two men on the walk.

"Blood," Sirius nodded, sniffing the tiny droplets. "It's his, I know it! I thought I saw Hermione hit him. I don't recognize this as belonging to someone we know, so it must be his!"

"Okay, it's his," Ron shrugged. "So what?"

Remus sat up and rubbed his hands together, "I can track him," he grinned.


	16. Racing the Moon

Okay, this was supposed to be the last chapter; however, I have decided to add an epilogue since I've left the end wide open. Hopefully that should be up within a week. I already have a plan as to what will happen, but how do YOU think it should end? Leave a review and let me know.

Again, BIG thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed so far. You have been wonderful!

* * *

"I don't understand," Ron said shaking his head in confusion. "How will one small speck of blood help you to track them if they apparated away?"

Remus stood and brushed off his trousers as he spoke, "When you apparate, you don't just disappear from one location and reappear in another. You actually travel, however quickly, over the distance between the two locations, which means that it's likely the werewolf has left a blood trail in his wake which should lead me straight to him."

"But if what you say is true, the blood trail will be nearly insignificant and greatly wide spread," Harry pointed out. "The trail, if there is one at all, will be impossible to track."

"For you, maybe," Sirius grinned, clapping Harry on the shoulder. "But, Remus and I have very sensitive canine noses, so as long as they haven't crossed the ocean, we should be able to find them. Which we should begin doing. Who knows how far they've travelled?"

"Right," Harry agreed. "Let's tell Kingsley what we know and make sure we've got back-up coming. I don't want to be caught, greatly outnumbered, by a whole pack of werewolves this close to a full moon."

"That's for sure," Ron nodded, going slightly pale at the thought. "Come on, let's fix your nose and make a game plan before we go."

The men nodded in agreement before trailing into the house. Not unexpectedly, Kingsley and Williamson were waiting for them in the hall.

"What's the situation?" he asked stiffly, obviously trying to hide his distress.

Harry stepped forward and explained everything that had happened. He watched as Kingsley paled and then turned a mottled red as the story progressed. Harry felt a shiver of fear and guilt when Kingsley's eyes narrowed as he heard about his part in the whole mess. He hadn't exactly had permission to use Hermione as bait to try and ensnare the werewolf. By the time he ended the story with, "…and that's why we need more Aurors immediately," he was unable to meet the Minister's eye.

"I will floo for back-up and we will plan to leave within the hour. Remus, Sirius, please make whatever preparations you need. If time is of the essence then we cannot waste a second."

Everyone nodded grimly and departed to change clothes and pack whatever necessities they needed. However, before Harry could take more than one step, Kingsley held him back.

"When this whole debacle is over and Hermione is home safe and sound, you and I are going to have a long talk about what has transpired here. You severely overstepped the bounds of the law and of friendship in general. If you weren't such a good Auror I'd have you dismissed. As it is, you can expect a long series of very undesirable cases in the near future."

Harry gulped and nodded, wondering with dread what horrible tasks would soon be assigned to him. He hoped it would have nothing to do with trolls or dementors, but he knew deep inside that he'd willingly battle a thousand dementors or endure the stench of a million trolls to have Hermione back home with the people who loved her. Still, he was slightly relieved that his stupidity wasn't going to cost him his job. With things as they were, as long as Hermione came home soon, he was really getting off easy. He sighed in relief and then turned to find himself looking down upon the bright red head of his wife.

"Harry Potter!" she snared. "I know something is going on and I demand you tell me what it is this instant!"

Harry closed his eyes and huffed resignedly. So much for getting off easy.

Fifteen minutes later Sirius and Remus made their way down to the kitchen to meet up with Harry, Ron and the rest of the Aurors. However, as they approached the room they paused to listen to the shrill shrieks that emanated from behind the closed door.

"I guess Ginny's heard everything," Sirius mused. "I wonder if she'll fix Harry's nose before re-breaking it."

"He deserves whatever she does to him," Remus grumbled. "He'll deserve everything I do to him if anything happens to her."

Sirius paused and then stepped in front of his old friend. "Moony, nothing will happen. We are going to get to her in time. You have to believe that."

"But what if we don't?"

Sirius' face twisted in pain. "We will," he insisted.

Remus wasn't sure who he was trying to convince, but he grunted in acknowledgment and let it drop. "Well, shall we break up the love birds then?"

Sirius flinched at the thought of walking into that hornet's nest and he waved Remus ahead of him.

"After you," he grimaced.

Remus rolled his eyes and pushed open the door. Instantly, the semi-muted tongue lashing reached its crescendo, and in doing so increased in volume ten-fold. It was so piercing to Remus' sensitive ears that he instinctively took a step back. He heard Sirius chuckle behind him and shot him a dirty look over his shoulder.

"How could you be so _stupid_?!" Ginny screeched.

"Please, love, I never intended…" Harry tried to explain, but his fiery spouse was having none of it.

"That's right. You never intend for your half-assed plans to fail…and that's why they're half-assed!"

Ron stood in the background grinning evilly while his sister let his best friend/brother-in-law have it. Having been on the receiving end of her super-sonic tirades he knew that nothing (short of his mother's rants) could put the fear of God into a man faster.

"Sweetheart, I promise we'll get her back!" Harry pleaded.

"That's right, you're gonna!" Ginny hissed, as she glared at him through narrowed eyes. "Because if you don't, don't even think about coming home!" With that she turned to stomp out of the room, but Remus halted her.

"Ginny, wait," he said, stepping in her way. "We have to leave, but there are still guests to attend to…"

"I'll take care of it," she said, waving a dismissive hand. "You just focus on getting her back."

Remus nodded and Ginny left the room without looking back.

"Um, don't mind her," Harry said, running a self-conscious hand through his hair. "She's really hormonal right now."

"No, she's pissed," Ron interjected. "And she has every right to be." An obvious wave of guilt washed over Harry's features and Ron felt a pang of sympathy for his long-time friend. "Look, she'll get over this. She loves you. I mean, she fixed your nose didn't she? Don't worry, when all of this is over and Hermione is okay, she'll forgive you. The important thing right now is finding Hermione and bringing her home."

"Right," Harry nodded. "Let's go."

Kingsley, Williamson, and three more Aurors were waiting in the hallway when the group of men came out of the kitchen. They acknowledged each other and made their way outside to form a loose circle around the blood droplets. Remus fell to his knees again and took a long sniff of the blood while Sirius transformed easily into the large black dog and eased up beside him. After they were both certain they had the scent, they separated and moved in opposite directions down the street. They continued that way until, tail wagging furiously, Sirius barked, indicating that the trail moved in his direction.

The Aurors glanced at each other and slowly made their way toward him, each knowing full well that if this was the method they were relying on, it was probably going to be a long night.

* * *

Morning dawned cold and overcast and Hermione huddled deeper into the ragged, smelly blanket as she fought the shivers that continually ran through her. To her relief, the werewolf hadn't returned during the night and she was able to get a couple paltry hours of sleep.

She stretched her sore muscles as best as she could in her shackles and then tried futilely to free herself again. When the chains held strong she quietly swore and sat back in disgust, kicking herself for the millionth time in so many hours for not carrying her wand on her at all times.

After a long moment she began to take a closer look at the cave. In the dim light of morning a few more details were visible; such as a small pile of old clothes at the far end of the cave that had once obviously belonged to a female. On the wall near the pile were several long streaks of dark dried blood which helped to tell the grisly tale of the last young woman who had been held here against her will.

At first Hermione felt paralyzed with fear that she might share the same terrible fate as that poor unknown woman, but then she frowned as a ripple of anger ran though her. She had been a Gryffindor- the house of the brave. She had been one of the key players in the final battle. She had faced worse situations than this and made it through with her heart and mind intact because she had always had something worth fighting for. This was no different. In fact, this time she had even more to fight for because somewhere out there existed two men for whom she would kill or die for, and she knew without a doubt that they would do the same for her. She knew that they would never stop searching for her, and that convinced her more than anything else to fight. She only hoped that her men would find her before her strength gave in.

From the distance she could hear people talking and moving about and then there was the unmistakable sound of footsteps approaching. The foul werewolf walked in and stopped a few feet from her. His hungry eyes travelled the length of her body before eventually settling on her face.

"You look a little worse for wear," he said, and then he licked his lips. "But you smell even better than you did last night. It's going to be difficult waiting until tonight to take you, but I know that the wait will make it all the sweeter when I finally make you mine. Until then you need to keep your strength. I don't want some pale, wilting female for a mate, but then again, I don't want to have too much of a fight on my hands, so I'll give you a little food and water for now."

He reached into his coat and pulled out a small bundle of raw meat, which he dropped at her feet. "I know it's not much, but after tonight you'll have the chance to earn more rations. You'll see that as long as you take care of my needs, I will take care of yours. Everyone here earns their keep, and the same rule applies to you, except the only task you have is seeing to my pleasure. After a while, if you do a good enough job, I might return the favor. I can tell you are a passionate woman, but your pleasure will only be granted if you've earned it, so I suggest you don't try and fight me."

The sound of raised voices echoed from the mouth of the cave and he paused to listen. "They know something's up," he told her flatly. "They can smell you. It will be difficult to keep them away until after I've marked you, so unfortunately I will be too busy to spend any _quality_ time with you until tonight. It's a damn shame too because I can smell how badly you want it." He licked his lips again and casually stroked his obvious erection though the material of his filthy jeans. "So, eat the food I've given you and try to relax. I know you're uncomfortable and uneasy, but that will all go away soon enough. Oh, and save yourself the trouble and don't try and escape. You'll just end up hurting yourself. Besides, we don't want to get them any more riled up than they already are."

As if to emphasize his point, the sounds of a scuffle met her ears along with snarls and a howl of pain. The werewolf chuckled lightly. "These scuffles are pointless. They can fight amongst themselves all day; they can even kill each other, but they would have to get past me to get to you, and I'll never let that happen." His gaze suddenly turned icy and violent. "Even when you are allowed to walk amongst them…which won't be often…you are to keep your distance. The bond between us will be strong, but if I ever catch you flirting with any of them I will punish you severely. If I ever find that you've done more than flirt…" he clenched and unclenched his fists as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "I will give you to the pack to use and then I will kill you."

Hermione couldn't contain the snarl that ripped from her throat at his threat. She met his glare with one of her own, showing him that she would never submit to him or his rules. Eventually he chuckled and turned to walk away.

"You are a spitfire and I like that, but you will learn to heed me. I am not an easy man to live with and you will soon learn that it is unwise to defy me." He gave her one final raking glance. "Until tonight, my dear."

Hermione watched him go and she felt her rage build. She wished more than anything that she was unchained because she knew that if she were able, she would kill him where he stood. She wanted to hold onto that rage because she knew she would need it to bolster her strength if she were going to survive the night. She would never submit to him. She would fight and escape or she would die, but there was no way she was going to submit to him. She let the rage build until it filled her and she refused to let it fade. She only prayed it was enough to see her through until help arrived.

* * *

"The scent is getting stronger," Sirius grinned as he transformed back into his human form to rejoin the group.

It was early evening already and everyone was exhausted from trekking nearly halfway across the country. The band of men had been walking all night and day; a feat none of them had ever dreamed of attempting. The group had been disheartened when they learned they would be going on foot. They had hoped to at least use brooms, but Remus explained that they'd have to fly too high to avoid muggle detection for him to follow the scent. He had permitted the use of magic to make them move much faster, but it was still very tedious and tiresome.

They had stopped only a handful of times to cool their tired feet and take a drink or empty their bladders. Still, neither Remus nor Sirius wanted to give up the pursuit for even a moment, however, the rest of the men insisted that they wouldn't be of any help if they were dead on their feet when they did eventually find the den.

As each hour had ticked by, Remus became more and more uneasy. He knew that they were quickly running out of time, and as sundown approached, his wolf began to claw for freedom. He also knew that as each minute passed, the odds of finding Hermione unscathed diminished. He hated to admit it, but as midday came and went, he began to lose heart that they would reach her in time. Finally the trail had become stronger and he knew they were getting close. Now, hours later, he could not only smell Hermione's assailant, but also other members of the pack. He knew he was nearing their hunting grounds, and that meant that the den was somewhere nearby.

To his dismay, at Sirius' announcement the group decided to take another rest.

"What are you doing?" he demanded. "We're almost there."

"So we've been told," Ron grumbled, as he pulled off his shoes and rubbed his aching arches.

"Then why are you stopping?"

"If we're almost there, then that means we're about to walk into what might be a very dangerous battle." Harry reasoned. "What chance do we have if we can barely move?"

"What chance does Hermione have if we're too late?" Remus retorted.

Harry shot his godfather a pleading look and Sirius nodded in understanding. "Look mate, I hate to say it but the guys have the right idea. We are of no use to her if we're too exhausted to fight. Also, don't forget that very soon you'll have to expend even more energy with the change. That alone is usually enough to knock you flat. How will it be if you go into the change already completely sapped? How will that help anyone?"

"I would fight to the death for her no matter what!" Remus snapped.

"That's good," Sirius smiled grimly, "But let's make it a little harder for them to kill you. We're already half-dead as we are and I for one would like a fighting chance at survival. I mean, we're doing this to get Hermione back, not to commit suicide."

Remus glared at him for a moment, but eventually gave in. He couldn't deny that he was worn out, but his instincts were screaming at him to keep moving. Hermione needed him and the situation was quickly growing desperate. The image of some faceless predator forcing her was enough to boil his blood and make his wolf gnash its teeth in fury.

"Okay, we're close enough that I can give you these," an Auror named McKinney said as he reached into his pack. He pulled out several small vials and passed them out amongst the group. "That is pepper-up potion, wakefulness potion, and energy boost potion. Drink up every one; you're going to need it."

Each man pulled the stopper out of his vials and drank deeply, pulling faces at the foul taste of the potions. When they were done, he approached Remus and handed him an extra vial. "This is the wolfsbane potion. Severus gave it to me to give to you. I was supposed to give it to you earlier, but it slipped my mind. Will it still work?"

Remus grunted and took the vial. "It won't be as effective, but I think it's better this way. I have a feeling I'll need my animal instincts to work with me tonight. However, this should help me focus on the enemy, and not on you guys."

McKinney paled and nodded. He knew how dangerous werewolves could be, and since he was about to face a whole pack, he didn't want the one who was supposed to be on his side turning on him mid-battle.

Remus nodded in thanks and tipped back the disgusting liquid, praying that it would be enough to help him maintain some of his humanity. He was still guilt-ridden over all that had happened to Hermione. He knew full well that none of this would be an issue if he hadn't lost control all those months ago, and he damned well didn't want the responsibility of having it happen again.

Once the group was well enough rested, they resumed the pursuit. It took an agonizingly long time to find the den; or so it seemed to Remus, who was just beginning to feel the muscle aches that signified the beginnings of the change. However, just before nightfall they found themselves laying low on the top of a craggy hill that over looked the den.

It looked like a woodland shanty village made up of a dozen or so crudely made wood, stone, and mud structures that loosely surrounded a partially hidden cave in the side of another hill. A large gathering of trees created a canopy overhead, which protected the pack from weather, and curious onlookers who might be flying by. Off in the distance was a small ocean inlet and the sound of splashing waves, and the thick salty odor did wonders to mask the sounds and smells of the pack. It really was a well planned hiding place for the feral werewolves and it was no wonder they had avoided detection for so long.

Remus and the others lay flat on the rocks and dirt as they studied the layout of the den. They had chosen this elevated position not only for the strategic advantage it gave them, but also because the wind was blowing at their faces, taking their scents along with it away from the sharp noses of the inhabitants below. Their survival depended on keeping the element of surprise as long as possible; if they were discovered before they knew Hermione's position, all might be lost.

They watched anxiously as several pack members mulled about talking quietly amongst themselves, or else staring expectantly at the darkening sky waiting for moon rise. Not surprisingly every one of the inhabitants was male. Everyone in the group was searching for a bushy-haired woman, but Remus knew it was futile.

"Does anyone see her?" Ron asked as he craned his neck for a better view.

"No," Sirius whispered, "But I can smell her."

Remus nodded in agreement. "Yes, but it's very faint. I don't think she's in any of these structures or her smell would be stronger. The must be keeping her below ground which means the cave is our best bet."

"Do you suppose she's being guarded?" Harry asked as he focused more closely on the mouth of the cave.

Remus gave a half shrug as he considered it. "The moon is about to rise, which means that very soon these men will begin to change. Once they are fully wolf their senses will improve tenfold. Now, I speculate that since they are not all clambering to get into the cave that the leader is somehow masking Hermione's odor from them. It's possible that the reason Sirius and I can detect her is because we're both so familiar with her. However she is in heat, and after they change, nothing will be strong enough to shield her scent from them. If the leader had any sort of brain, he will be ready and waiting for them…and us."

"Which do you suppose is the leader?" Williamson asked from his position beside Harry.

Remus studied the men below, focusing on those closest to the mouth of the cave. There were three in close, somewhat heated conversation there. Two of the men were very animated, pointing in toward the depths of the cave while one had his back to it. That one had a very firm and determined look about him as he stood his ground in front of the others.

"There he is," Remus pointed. "From the looks of it, some of his underlings already detect her and are asking questions. He's trying to placate them. These are the crucial minutes for him because their senses are getting stronger, and he will want to hide her until she changes and he can mark her. It will be a race against time for all of us. He will try and take her before any of them, and we need to get to her before he does."

"So what are we waiting for?" Ron demanded as he made to stand. "Let's go!"

"Not yet," Remus hissed, pulling the red-head back down. "We need them to be distracted; the leader especially. If he detects us too soon he will mark her as human and though we might get her out, she will be affected by him. I suggest you wait until moonrise. The moment they begin to change is the moment you attack. They will be caught in the throes of agony and will be less able to defend themselves."

"What about you?" Harry frowned.

"Sirius and I are going to make our way around. The closer we are when the fighting starts, the greater the advantage we'll have. We will go into the cave and deal with the alpha. Once he is defeated, Sirius will cast his patronus to let you know we're okay, then he will apparate both of us to the forbidden forest. As soon as you see his partonus, you get yourselves out."

Harry glared at him and then shook his head. "Absolutely not! We're not going to let you two risk your lives by taking on the leader alone. I'm going in with you!"

"Harry, don't be dense," Sirius snapped. "What do you think will happen when they smell your human flesh? Remus and I will not be as tempting a target as all of you. Your job…and this goes for all of you…is to take out the pack while keeping as far a distance as possible from them. It will be risky enough for me because I will have to change back into a human long enough to free her and get the three of us away. If you come, you'll only be making things that much harder on me. Remember, the bad guys aren't the only threat. Remus might be your friend, but he will still be a changed werewolf with the instinct to bite."

Harry scowled at the logic, but let the subject drop. He was already determined to be part of the rescue party no matter what, and nothing his godfather said would change that.

Finally the moment came. Remus could feel the pains begin to spread and gather heat in his limbs. He nodded to Sirius and the two of them crept cautiously and quickly around the dark forest to the side of the cave. Not a minute later, the moon appeared overhead and the silver beams bathed the forest and its inhabitants. A chorus of low, painful moans soon became a cacophony of agonized screams as twenty or more men began to morph into monsters.

With perfect timing and accuracy a half-dozen dazzling red and gold jets of magical light shot into the writhing forms, stunning and confusing them. When the pack realized what was happening their pained screams became bellows of fury and total chaos erupted. Those whose change was nearing completion took off after the source of the attack while the rest ducked for cover until they were able to fight. Not unexpectedly the alpha ducked into the cave to be nearer to his captive.

When Remus saw the half-changed alpha dragging himself away he closed his eyes and willed his wolf to emerge. As his skin split open, he felt a strange sort of elation and ferocious energy that he had never experienced before. With a long howl he took off for the cave opening, Sirius at his heels.

At the cave mouth they were met by a rather large white and grey wolf who recognized that they were intruders and took an attack stance, but Remus hardly paused for him. Instead he ducked low and charged him, grabbing his scruff as he ran and flinging him away as if he weighed nothing. The opposing wolf slammed into a tree and then slowly wobbled back to his feet. With a terrified look in his eyes, he yelped and ran away.

Uncaring of the chaos of the night, Remus and Sirius darted into the cave and pressed their noses to the ground. The cave angled downward taking them into a wet subterranean labyrinth. There were many splitting passageways and it would be very easy to get lost, however, following Hermione's overpowering scent kept them on the right track until they rounded a final corner and spotted her wolfish form lying on the ground.

The silver and black alpha was nearly on her when both Remus and Sirius snarled in anger. The Alpha looked up in surprise, but then his stare hardened and he bared his teeth and growled deeply. He glanced quickly between the two intruders and Hermione's prone form as if deciding which to go for, but in the end survival won out and he crouched low in preparation for the strike. Remus matched his stance and was just about to spring, when he was hit hard from behind.

A third wolf, this one sandy brown and gold, knocked Remus off his feet, giving the alpha a momentary advantage. In an instant he was on Remus; tearing at his flesh and fur trying to get at his exposed throat, but Sirius had already joined the fray. He jumped on the alpha's back and clawed and snapped at his eyes in an attempt to blind him. It was enough distraction for Remus to free himself and rejoin the assault. The alpha knocked Sirius away, but as soon as he was free, Remus was on him.

From her position on the ground, Hermione watched the battle. Her wolfish mind was clouded and she didn't understand what was happening. She only knew that she was frightened, and she wished that the grey and brown wolf and the black dog would finish up their fight and come comfort her. She didn't know why they seemed so familiar, but every time one of them took a bite and cried out in pain, she felt her heart lurch. At one point, the large silver and black wolf had the grey and brown pinned down, and she felt an overwhelming urge to stop him. She tried to move, but there was something holding her back. A heavy chain was tethered to her back paw and she fought it with all of her strength until she bled. Finally, the chain fell away from her wet limb and she charged the larger wolf, taking him by surprise and giving the other the upper hand…that was until the black dog screamed in pain.

Three heads turned to see the brown and gold wolf tear a chunk of flesh from the back of the much smaller dog. Hermione howled in anger and fear, but in the next instant the cave lit up with a blinding yellow light and the brown and gold wolf fell to the floor. A tall black-haired man walked in then, and though Hermione felt the urge to attack him, she hesitated. He too seemed so familiar…

Harry's distraction was all Remus needed. Before the alpha could react, he sank his teeth deep into his throat, jerking his head from side to side and tearing away flesh and muscle and life-sustaining blood vessels. The alpha tried to get away, but he was spilling too much blood and his airway was punctured, making it nearly impossible to breathe. With a final huff, he gave up the fight and collapsed.

Remus, bleeding and bone weary, turned to Hermione and gave a low huff. Cautiously she approached him, keeping her belly low to the ground in case he should turn on her and attack, but he didn't, and she slowly stood and sniffed him. He smelled of blood, but underneath that was the familiar odor that soothed her. She whined softly and began to lick at the worst of his injuries while he just stood there and watched her.

She wondered idly why he didn't try and mount her. As the winner of the fight he was entitled to be her mate, but still he just watched. Finally he butted her with his head and licked her face. It was a sweet moment until a hoarse scream filled the air followed closely by a green blast of light.

Remus turned to see what had happened and felt his mind go cold. Sirius, in his human form, was bleeding and shivering on the ground. Harry had obviously been trying to heal the worst of his injuries when the alpha, in a last burst of strength and revenge, had lunged at him. Sirius saw the attack coming and knocked his godson aside in the nick of time. The teeth of the wolf sank deep into Sirius' leg instead and he screamed in pain as Harry brandished his wand and fired a killing curse at the beast, finishing him once and for all.

Strangely, Remus felt no desire to bite as he darted toward his two human friends. Harry was already bending over his horribly injured godfather, trying his best to stop the profuse bleeding. Sirius was deathly pale and still, and it seemed to take him a lot of effort to breathe, as his wheezing lungs struggled to take in much needed oxygen.

"It's really bad," Harry said quickly. "I have to get him to St. Mungos or he is going bleed to death. We've already dealt with the rest of the pack, so you two should be safe here for now. I have to get him out of here, or he isn't going to make it. Just stay put until morning. Then, after you change, go back to Grimmauld place. I'll contact you as soon as I can."

Remus whined softly and nodded as Harry grabbed Sirius' hand and apparated them away. A moment later, the sad, mournful howls of two horribly distressed and anxious wolves filled the air.


	17. Of Hope and Heat Warning: Mature!

Okay, this is the last chapter/epilogue. I just want to give a big THANK YOU to everyone who has read my story. I hope you've had as much fun reading it as I have writing it. Thanks to everyone who reviewed this story. Your glowing praises have bolstered my ego and given me the encouragement to keep going.

I have a new story idea in mind and I hope to begin it soon. So, perhaps some of you will read that one and show me the same encouragement as you did with this.

Please feel free to read my other stories as well. I think they are quite good and I'd love to know what you think.

So, on to the finale – ENJOY!

(Please review – I want to know what you think of the ending!)

* * *

It had been three months since that fateful night. For Hermione it was an experience that would always haunt her memories. At sunrise after spending the night in the cave with Remus she had awoken to only to find herself living a nightmare. She thought had only dreamt of Sirius being horribly wounded, but when she awoke she learned of the true extent of his injuries. She could see pools of his blood marring the floor and it made her physically ill.

Remus was understandably frantic. Hermione practically had to force him back to Grimmauld place to clean and dress his wounds instead of allowing him to simply barrel off to St. Mungos. She hated to admit that she wanted to cleanse herself as well. Spending two full nights laying on a freezing, damp, mud caked floor had affected her both physically and mentally. Combine that with the creepy feeling she wore like a second skin from being in such close proximity with that horrible werewolf and all she could think about was taking a long, very hot shower. She knew it was selfish, but she couldn't face Sirius looking like a disgusting, filthy hag.

Remus had allowed only the most basic of healing and though none of his injuries were life threatening, some were fairly severe. The only way he got Hermione to stop fussing over him was to promise that he would see a mediwitch once at the hospital.

They arrived at St. Mungos an hour after sunrise and were immediately led to a small waiting room where they found Harry sitting quietly with his head in his hands. Upon seeing his dejected countenance, Remus' feet felt rooted to the floor. He found that he simply could not go on to learn that he had lost yet another best friend. Hermione saw his reaction and understood it. She stroked his arm comfortingly before taking a seat near Harry.

"How's he doing?" she asked quietly, steeling herself for the worst.

Harry looked up and her heart sank as she saw the long, wet trails of his tears.

"It's bad," he told her as he swallowed a sob.

She felt her heart skip and a hollow sensation filled her stomach. "Is he alive?" she whispered.

"Just barely. They've been working on him all night, but they can't seem to control his bleeding. All they keep telling me is that they're trying. Oh, God! This is all my fault!"

"No, it's my fault," she said, taking his hands in hers. "If I hadn't been stupid enough to go outside alone without my wand that foul creature never would have got to me, and you guys never would have had to come after me."

"I knew he was going to try and take you," Harry admitted miserably. He went on to explain his big plan and how it had backfired in his face. When he was done he got down on his knees and begged for her forgiveness.

"It seems to me that your plan would have worked if I had remembered my wand," Hermione said lightly, running her fingers through his untidy hair. "And though I wish I had been in on it, I can't blame you for wanting to get that bastard. You know I'm not the kind of person who says things like this easily, but I'm glad you killed that son-of-a-bitch. I just wish you had done it sooner."

"Ow!" Harry flinch and Hermione realized that she had inadvertently clenched her fingers.

"Sorry," she smiled. "Look, you said he was going to try and take me. Whether it had been then or a month from now, it was likely going to happen. I'm just glad you were there when it did happen." She looked up at Remus. "Thank you both for risking your lives for me."

Remus looked around then. "Where are Ron and the other Aurors? Is everyone else okay?"

Harry nodded. "Everyone is fine. Ron was here, but he was exhausted and I told him to go home and get some sleep. There's nothing he could do here anyway other than annoy me."

"Oh my God!" Hermione moaned suddenly, making both men jump. "The party! I ruined everything didn't I?"

Harry chuckled. "Only you would care about something as silly as that at a time like this. Ginny took over the party. I'm sure she made certain that everyone had a good time. I sent her a message when I got here telling her that I was fine and you were safe. I told her Sirius was hurt, but I downplayed it. I didn't have the heart to tell her how bad it actually is." As he said the words he began to tear up again and turned his face away.

Hermione pulled him into a tight hug as he cried. She felt just as weak and helpless as he did. She was also angry. She had been weak and helpless too often lately and it was really pissing her off. She felt a restless energy build up inside her and she felt the urge to do something, _anything_, to help.

"When was the last time you got an update on his condition?" she asked Harry as he slowly calmed down.

"About an hour ago," he sniffed. "They got tired of me asking I think, and they said they'd come tell me the minute there was any change."

"Well, I haven't asked anyone, so I think I'll go do that," she nodded firmly. However, just as she made to leave a young, sour looking mediwitch walked in.

"Are you all here for Sirius Black?" she asked in a clipped tone. When they nodded in the affirmative she sniffed and continued, "We have managed to stop his bleeding, but his injuries are still very severe. If he survives the day he will most likely recover fully, however, I'm not sure what kind of life that would be. Since he was bitten by a werewolf during the full moon, should he survive, he will surely become one himself."

"What are you saying?" Hermione said sharply, feeling her ire rise, "That because he might be a werewolf he's better off dead?"

The witched shrugged, looking vastly uncomfortable and disgruntled. "Perhaps death is better than losing one's humanity."

"Do I look human to you?" Hermione snarled. "Does he?" she demanded, pointing toward Remus. "Because we're both werewolves and I promise you, if anything, we're still human!"

The mediwitch sneered slightly, but merely shrugged again. "I see. Well, at least he'll have proper company."

"Let me tell you something!" Harry snapped at her. "Werewolves are just like everybody else most of the time. Their condition doesn't define who they are. It doesn't automatically make them bad or evil. Voldemort wasn't a werewolf and he was the epitome of evil. My friends didn't choose to be werewolves but they deal with it as best as they can and I'll tell you this; they are some of the bravest, kindest, most loyal people in the world. Now, I think you should leave. Oh, and stay away from Sirius Black. I don't want someone as horrible and ignorant as you going anywhere near him."

The mediwitch glared at him for a moment before turning and stomping away.

"Can you believe her?" Hermione demanded, outraged. "How can they let someone like that work here? You can believe that I'll be speaking to her supervisor and Kingsley about this!"

"Hermione," Remus said soothingly. "I have been living with that kind of discrimination my whole life. People tend to fear things they don't understand, and werewolves are some of the most misunderstood people on Earth. Hopefully, after the new laws go through, things will begin to change. However, for a while longer, you and I, and those like us will have to show the patience and tolerance that some others can't."

Hermione huffed, but nodded. "I know. It sucks, but I know. Now, I'm going to find someone _competent_ to look at your wounds."

After she had gone Remus turned back to Harry. "I want you to be completely honest with me," he said, and then paused to steady his wavering voice. "I know he was in really bad shape when you arrived here. Based on what you know, what do you think his odds are?"

Harry's eyes fell to the floor. "Not even during the war have I ever seen someone so ravaged. I was really worried I'd lose him before I could even get him here. I don't know. He's strong. He was strong enough to survive twelve years in Azkaban…but he'll need to be even stronger now. I don't want to guess at his odds, but I know this; I want him to live more than anything. We just have to pray that he wants it that badly too. Maybe if there were something in his life worth fighting for…or someone…." He trailed off.

Remus thought of Hermione and he felt a flicker of hope. "I know just what you mean," he smiled softly.

……………………………Three months later………………………………….

Remus came into the library to see Hermione standing quietly by the window.

"How are you doing?" he asked gently as he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

Hermione smiled lightly and rubbed her head against his chest. "I'm okay. Just thinking about things."

"Are you worried about tonight?

She shrugged. "Not really. I have done this before you know."

"I know," he nodded. "But you're in heat again, and this will be the first time since Sirius…"

"I'm not worried!" she insisted. "You'll be there. I'm sure you'll know what to do."

"If I can control myself," he murmured against her neck as he nipped and kissed her overly sensitive skin.

Hermione moaned appreciatively and turned in his embrace to wrap her arms around his neck. "Are you trying to take advantage of me in my time of weakness?"

Remus laughed. "I remember last time like it was yesterday, and I don't think I could ever describe you as weak. In fact, you were surprisingly overpowering."

Hermione smacked his chest lightly and tilted her head back so he could capture her mouth. Only recently had they re-engaged in such intimate physical contact. It had taken her several weeks to cope with everything that had happened, and though she needed the reassurance of physical contact, she had stopped it before anything of a romantic nature could occur. However, feeling the familiar heat of his kiss made her regret months of lost time.

"Hey, what's this? You're starting without me?"

Hermione and Remus reluctantly pulled apart and turned to face the hall. Sirius stood in the doorway, leaning heavily on his crutch and looking comically forlorn. Upon seeing the overly pathetic look on his face they both bubbled over with laughter. Sirius couldn't hold his falsely miserable expression for long and grinned widely at them.

"We were just talking about tonight," Remus explained innocently.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Sure, it looked like you were just talking."

"How are you feeling?" Hermione asked as she slipped out of Remus' arms to help Sirius into a chair.

He kissed her forehead as she helped him sit down. "Not bad," he smiled. "It hurts less today than it did yesterday."

He unconsciously rubbed his slowly healing leg as he spoke. They all knew that his injury would have been mostly healed by now if he didn't have to change forms once a month. The bones and muscles tearing, bending and re-shaping themselves severely slowed the healing process, and in some ways impeded it, which was why he had to endure weekly healing sessions with a very talented and understanding mediwitch. Hermione had interviewed the woman herself and deemed her adequate enough to treat him.

"You always say that," she grinned. "But, is it true?"

"True enough," he shrugged. "It's actually getting easier going up the stairs. I don't have to take as many breaks."

"That's good," she said as she moved to step away, but he grabbed her around the waist and gently pulled her onto his lap.

"Hey," he whined. "Remus got a kiss…"

Hermione chuckled and rolled her eyes before leaning up to press her mouth firmly against his. Sirius held her as she tried to pull away, and kissed her more forcefully; nipping and licking at her lips until she parted them for him. She could feel his body's reaction to her and her insides went all warm. The heat was making her body quickly burst into flames, and all Sirius was doing was fanning those flames higher.

Without warning a second mouth descended on her neck and she squeaked and once again tried to pull away, but she was held fast between the firm bodies of the two hottest men alive. Almost at the same time Sirius' hand left her hip to burn a scorching trail under her blouse and up her ribs to her bra encased breasts, while Remus' hands slid tortuously up the inside of her thigh to the hem of her short black skirt.

"Oh, what are you two doing?" she asked breathlessly as Sirius finally pulled away to trail kisses up the other side of her throat to her ear.

"Isn't it obvious?" he whispered as he licked the outer shell of her ear. "We're seducing you."

"Both together?" she gasped, incredulously.

"We're seducing you," they repeated in harmony, each grinning at the joke.

Hermione made to scoff at the old movie reference, but they had gone back to their intimate ministrations and the sound came out as a low moan instead. Sirius slipped his fingers beneath her bra and began expertly stoking her nipple to a fine point while Remus drew lazy circles higher and higher up her thigh so that every few seconds his fingers would graze her quickly moistening core.

"Hold on," Sirius said after a moment. "Moony, my good friend, I need a better angle. Help me turn her, will you?"

Remus nodded and lifted Hermione up before setting her back down so that she straddled Sirius on the plush armchair. "Better?" he asked, and Sirius nodded, shifting his legs to open her up further.

With deft skill he popped the all of the buttons of her blouse open in one quick movement and slowly pushed the frothy material down her arms and onto the floor. Once her torso was free, Remus quickly divested her of her bra, leaving her open and bare from the waist up. Hermione made to cover herself, but he lightly pinned her arms at her sides.

Remus could sense that she was nervous, so he placed gentle, soothing kisses along her shoulders and spine. "Just feel for a while, love, and if you decide you don't like what we're doing, we'll stop."

"I like it too much," she gasped, as Sirius caught a pert nipple in his mouth. "And that's the problem. You're both here and that's what makes it so indecent and wrong."

"No, love," Sirius disagreed. "That's what makes it so sexy and exciting."

"I can't take you both at once!" she insisted as Remus slid his hands over her hips to her thighs once again.

"I'm sure we can figure it out," he laughed. "After all, we're all very ingenious and meticulous people."

She moaned deeply as he dipped his thumbs beneath the elastic at her legs and slowly stroked the soft outer flesh of her mound. She wanted to argue, but the sensations they were creating as they worked in tandem somehow seemed to overpower her will.

After a moment of teasing the soft flesh around her core, Remus moved in to caress her moist, swollen center. Hermione couldn't contain herself as she cried out and arched her back to rest her head against his shoulder. Remus took that opportunity to capture her mouth, taking in her cries and heightening her pleasure.

"I want to try something," Sirius said as he finally released her firm, tight nipples. "Hermione, please put your feet on the floor and rest your arms on my thighs."

She nodded and stood up. As soon as his legs were free Sirius unbuttoned his jeans and quickly pushed them down his hips, revealing his impressive erection. Remus also used the opportunity to divest Hermione of her skirt and panties.

"Do you know what I need?" Sirius asked.

She nodded and bent over at the waist to lick his throbbing length making him close his eyes and groan in pleasure. At the same time Remus began massaging her sleek rear-end before dropping to his knees to lap at her dripping heat.

Hermione gasped at the sudden overwhelming pleasure and she almost lost her balance, but Remus held her upright. She had forgotten how good he was at that particular activity and she felt her body go liquid. Nothing else mattered in that moment but the harsh pleasure ripping through her.

After a minute she felt Sirius tug at her hair to guide her attention back to his body. She gave him a pained half-smile before dipping back down to take his sensitive head into the scorching heat of her mouth.

"Oh, God!" he gasped, and he thrust upward trying to get more of himself into that silky haven.

It only took a moment for the Hermione to cave under the pleasure Remus was inflicting upon her and she screamed as her first orgasm ripped through her. As she slowly came down from the high she heard Remus get to his feet and undo his jeans. A second later she felt his thick head rub tauntingly against her. She scooted back, trying to impale herself on his length, but he held her by the hips as he slowly, painstakingly teased and tortured her.

"Please," she moaned and her mouth went slack against Sirius, who took the opportunity to thrust the rest of himself into her, making her gasp and latch on to him again.

Finally Remus relented and with one long thrust, he filled her to the core. It only took a minute for the three of them to find a rhythm that worked for everyone and soon the room was filled with the sounds of tandem moaning and the sweet slap of skin on skin.

Sirius felt his pleasure reaching its pinnacle, and he reluctantly pushed Hermione away. He wanted to be truly inside of her when his release came. He had dreamt of her body since he had been released from hospital several weeks before and he didn't want to settle for her mouth, no matter how sweet and talented it was.

"Come here love," he murmured as he pulled her up onto her hands. "I need to feel your lips on mine."

Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck and eagerly latched onto his delicious mouth. The dual pleasure of both the kiss and the fullness of Remus' thrusts quickly sent her over the edge again and she buried her face into Sirius' neck as she screamed out her second hard release.

The feeling of her tight inner muscles clamping around him was too much for him, and Remus followed her almost immediately; throwing back his head and howling out his pleasure to the ceiling as he filled her with his hot essence. It took a moment for his wits to return, but when he was able, he placed one last kiss on her spine before stepping away from the heaven of her body. He grabbed his wand and cast two quick cleaning spells on her and himself before lifting her back onto his friend's lap. Sirius was ready for her and he smoothly positioned himself so that as she settled on him, he slipped easily into her hot, still shuddering body.

Hermione cried out at this second invasion, but as soon as he began moving within her, she met him thrust for thrust. Her body was totally aflame and she couldn't control the deep tremors that ran through her. She was drowning in pleasure and she held onto Sirius like a lifeline as she rode him.

Remus knelt down to press his body against her back and he and Sirius caught each other's gaze over her shoulder.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

When Sirius nodded he took Hermione's shoulders firmly in his hands and pulled her back so that she rested firmly against his chest. Sirius sat up with her and buried his face into the curve of her left shoulder as Remus did the same on her right.

"One…two…three," they counted down, and then they simultaneously bit down hard on her soft flesh, breaking the skin and tasting her sweet, tangy blood in their tongues.

Hermione cried out at the sudden pain and she tried to squirm away, but almost instantly the pain faded and a pleasure unlike anything she had ever known washed over her as she felt her thoughts divide perfectly between her two men. It felt like her heart had split evenly down the middle and each man had firmly taken hold of a half. It was the most amazing thing she had ever felt.

That irrepressible ecstasy drove her over the edge and she screamed wildly as the third and most powerful orgasm of the night burst within her. Her feral cries were accompanied by Sirius' as he was equally engulfed in the driving, nearly painful rapture.

When the pleasure's grip finally released her she slumped forward onto his chest and struggled to catch her breath and calm her wildly beating heart.

"What was that?" she gasped.

"The marking," Remus told her as he began to gently clean the slowly seeping blood from her body with a moist cloth.

"You marked me?" Hermione squeaked in surprise. "But…why?"

Sirius ran a shaking hand through his hair before meeting her troubled gaze. "We knew that you would always be in danger from other wolves until you were properly claimed, but neither of us could stand the idea of loosing you. So we talked it over and decided that the only solution was for both of us to try and mark you together. We weren't sure if it would work, but for all of our sakes, we had to try. Please, don't hate us."

Hermione looked into his dark pleading eyes and her heart melted for him, then she turned to look at Remus and felt the same strong emotion. Her heart was filled to bursting and she couldn't contain her smile. "Well, it worked. I can't explain what I feel right now, but I can sum it up with 'love'. I love you both; I have for a long time. But, it's different now. I feel like I'd die if you both weren't with me."

Both of the men grinned at her as they took turns planting gentle kisses on her soft lips.

"I love you," Remus whispered.

"More than anything," Sirius added. "And don't worry. Neither of us is going anywhere. We will always be here with you."

"Forever," Remus promised.

Hermione smiled brighter than she had in her entire life. "Forever," she breathed, trying out the word on her tongue. "I like the sound of that."


End file.
